REVIEW: I've Seen The Light and It's Brilliant; Now Extended Through February 25th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

The New Colony Presents the World Premiere of

THE LIGHT
Now Extended Through February 25, 2018 at The Den Theatre 

Tiffany Oglesby and Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. in The New Colony’s world premiere of THE LIGHT. 

All Photos by Evan Hanover.

Written by Loy Webb 

Directed by Toma Langston

January 5 – February 4, 2018 at The Den Theatre

Three Additional Weeks of Performances!

The New Colony’s World Premiere

The New Colony is pleased to announce its sell-out world premiere THE LIGHT is adding three additional weeks of performances, extending through February 25, 2018 at The Den Theatre (2B), 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets for all performance are currently available at www.thenewcolony.org.

Review:

In this illuminating and all too timely drama, the dynamic duo of Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. and Tiffany Oglesby absolutely shine. Their energy is palpable and chemistry on stage is a joy to see, as they run the gamut of emotions. This secret filled love story crackles with lies and revelations, and an emotional tug-of-war that is a delight to see unfolding. These characters spring to life on stage with rich, compelling back stories and strong, complicated personalities that are a thrill to get to know.

There is much of immense importance here, about the experience and dynamic of well educated black women in leadership positions in particular, and universally, about survivors of rape and sexual violence. This piece is incredibly well written, and provides a much needed personal window into the current "Me Too" movement. The comfort of a worn family talisman quilt, an unconditional love deep enough to weather the harshest of emotional storms and rage, repressed memories and slow recovery in stages, all ring true and make The Light a multifaceted gem of a production.   

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we thoroughly enjoyed The Light and welcome the thought provoking discussions and debates this show is sparking. The Light is highly recommended and now extended an additional three weeks through February 25th. Don't miss this! 

Written by Chicago playwright Loy Webb and directed by Toma Langston, the gripping romantic drama features TNC Ensemble Member Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. and Tiffany Oglesby.

A surprise proposal takes an unexpected turn that upends the world of Genesis and Rashad, forcing them to confront a devastating secret from the past and putting the future of their relationship at risk. Featuring two of Chicago’s most dynamic actors, THE LIGHT is a 70-minute, real-time rollercoaster journey of laughter, romance and despair that uncovers how the power of radical love can be a healing beacon of light.

The LIGHT is the 30^th world premiere presented by The New Colony since 2008 and marks the final production under the tenure of founding co-artistic directors Andrew Hobgood and Evan Linder, who are stepping down at the conclusion of the company’s ninth season. 

The production team for THE LIGHT includes: John Wilson (scenic design), Cassandra Kendall (lighting design), Regina Victor (dramaturg), Noelle Simone (assistant director) and Daryl Ritchie (stage manager). 

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: THE LIGHT

Playwright: Loy Webb

Director: Toma Langston

Cast: Ensemble Member Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. (Rashad) and Tiffany Oglesby (Genesis).

Location: The Den Theatre (2B), 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Friday, January 5 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, January 6 at 7:30 pm

Opening: Monday, January 8 at 7:30 pm

Regular run: Thursday, January 11 – Sunday, February 25, 2018

Curtain times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm

Industry Night: Monday, January 29 at 7:30 pm and Monday, February 19, 2018

Tickets: $30 on Thursdays/Fridays; $35 on Saturdays/Sundays. Students/seniors: 25% off. Tickets are currently available at www.thenewcolony.org.  

About the Artists

Loy Webb (Playwright) is a Chicago born theatre journalist and playwright. Her new play The Light was developed through The New Colony’s Writer’s Room 4.0. She is an inaugural Tutterow Fellow at Chicago Dramatists, and her one-act plays have been featured at Black Ensemble Theatre, American Theater Company, 20 Percent Theatre Company Chicago, University of North Dakota, GI60 International One Minute Play Festival, Modern-Day Griot Theatre Company New York and the Black Lives, Black Words International Project, in which she is an associate artist. As a theatre journalist she is a member of the Association of Women of Journalists-Chicago, a past mentor with the AWJ-Chicago/Goodman Theatre’s Cindy Bandle Young Critics Program and a contributing theater critic for Newcity. Her one act play, I AM a Woman is published in both Wish to Live: The Hip-hop Feminism Pedagogy Reader and the Black Lives, Black Words International Project anthology. Additionally, her one-act play Saving Inge is published in One Minute Plays: A Practical Guide To Tiny Theatre. Loy holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and J.D. from The John Marshall Law School. Her primary mission with all her writing is to be a pointer towards hope.

Toma Langston (Director) is a freelance theater director. Credits include Victory Gardens: Directors Inclusion Initiative Director 2015. (Assistant Director) Sucker Punch. Jackalope Theatre: 1980 (or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson). Sideshow Theatre: (Assistant Director) Truth and Reconciliation and Give It All Back. Toma is a proud steering committee member of DirectorsLab Chicago and an associate artist with Black Lives, Black Words International Project. Directorial credits include: The Last Five Years, The Shadow Box, For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Toma has worked with Chicago Dramatists, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre and Prologue Theatre. 

Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr. (Rashad) is a proud south side Chicagoan (Hyde Park) and excited  to work on a play by black people and for black people. He is also extremely proud to see it produced by The New Colony. He has worked with an array of theatre companies such as Theatre Unspeakable, Definition Theatre and Victory Gardens and has made an appearance on Chicago PD. He is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.

Tiffany Oglesby (Genesis) is originally from Atlanta, GA. and recently appeared as Vanessa in About Face and Theatre Wit’s co-production of Significant Other. Other theatre credits include An Octoroon (Definition Theatre), truth and reconciliation (Sideshow), East Texas Hot Links (u/s Writers) and A Small Oak Tree Runs Red (u/s Congo Square). She also had the pleasure of working with other theatre companies including Raven and Lifeline. TV credits include Chicago Med and The Chi. She received her BFA in Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design and her MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Happily exclusive with Grossman and Jack Talent. 

THE LIGHT is sponsored by Michael and Mona Heath.

About The New Colony

The New Colony develops NEW ART and NEW ARTISTS in order to educate and build NEW AUDIENCES. Founded in 2008, The New Colony has established itself as “one of Chicago’s essential off-Loop companies” (Chicago Tribune) having developed and produced over 25 world-premiere plays and musicals garnering four Joseph Jefferson Awards, the 2011 Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, and Best Overall Production at the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival. The New Colony is a resident company of The Den Theatre located in Wicker Park.

OPENING: MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Via PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS Through March 11th, 2018P

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES FIRST PRODUCTION AND SPECIAL EVENTS OF 2018, 

STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S 

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, 

JANUARY 26 – MARCH 11, 

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Landmark Sondheim Musical that Charts the Highs and Lows of a Relationship Among Three Very Close Friends is Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber with Artistic Associate Christopher Pazdernik as Associate Director and Music Direction by Aaron Benham

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the next mainstage production it its 2017 – 2018 season Merrily We Roll Along, January 26 – March 11,  2018, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, with direction by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber, associate direction and musical staging by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate Christopher Pazdernik and music direction by Aaron Benham at Porchlght’s home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Merrily We Roll Along is based on the play by the same name written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. 

Previews are Friday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. and  Monday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (March 4 and March 11) and 6 p.m. (February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25) with a weekday matinee Thursday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m. There is no 4 p.m. performance Saturday, Feb. 3 and no 7:30 p.m. performance on Thursday, March 8. Tickets are $33 - $60 and are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Set over two decades of friendship and business, the landmark musical Merrily We Roll Along charts the highs and lows of a relationship among three very close friends. Starting from adulthood and traveling back in time to the idealistic intentions of youth, this powerful and emotionally moving story of looking at your life from the vantage point of having lived it features some of Stephen Sondheim’s best known songs including “Good Thing Going,” “Not a Day Goes By” and “Old Friends.”


MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG SPECIAL EVENTS

Film Screening: “Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened” Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Porchlight Music Theatre and members of its Merrily cast host a screening of "Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened.” The screening includes pre-film performances of musical numbers from the Porchlight Music Theatre production and post-film discussion with audience and Porchlight cast members.

Merrily We Roll Along opened to enormous fanfare in 1981, and closed after sixteen performances.  For the first time, "Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened" draws back the curtain on the extraordinary drama of the show's creation—and tells the stories of the hopeful young performers whose lives were transformed by it. Directed by Porchlight Advisory Board Member Lonny Price, who played “Charley” in the original cast, the film is a bittersweet meditation on the choices we all make, and the often unexpected consequences of those choices—through success and failure. Featuring exclusive appearances by Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Jason Alexander, Mandy Patinkin, Adam Guettel, Frank Rich and the original Broadway cast of Merrily We Roll Along.

Tickets: FREE TO THE PUBLIC
RSVP by calling Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884 or sending an email to BoxOffice@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

Porchlight Revisits Merrily We Roll Along, the 1934 play
Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
For one night only, Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Revisits staged concert series will present the original 1934 Broadway play Merrily We Roll Along by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart that inspired the Stephen Sondheim musical. Written by the team that created You Can't Take it With You, The Man Who Came to Dinner and Once in a Lifetime, and originally featuring a cast of over 90 actors, this is an extraordinary opportunity to experience this very rarely seen classic. Join Artistic Director Michael Weber and Porchlight’s Merrily cast with a “Behind the Show Backstory” look at the production that has never been revived on Broadway followed by a fully staged reading of Kaufman and Hart’s play.

Tickets: $20 
Purchase tickets at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org 

Post-Performance Conversation 
Thursday, Feb. 22 - following the 7:30 p.m. performance

Immediate following the performance, Thursday, Feb 22, Porchlight and Merrily cast members share their experiences from this Sondheim production and answer audience questions. 

The Post-Performance Conversation is free and open to the public.
All special events take place at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts.

The cast of Merrily We Roll Along includes Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate Matt Crowle (Charley Kringas), Jim DeSelm (Franklin Shephard), Neala Barron (Mary Flynn), Keely Vasquez (Gussie Carnegie), David Fiorello (Joe Josephson), Aja Wiltshire (Beth), and ensemble including Kyrie Anderson (Make-up Artist), Larry Baldacci (Mr. Spencer), Katherine Condit (Scotty), Christopher Davis (Terry), Andres Enriquez (Tyler), Frederick Harris (Jerome), Michelle Jasso (K.T.), Bernell Lassai (Bunker / TV Newsman), Cisco Lopez (Floor Monitor / Minister), Alana Lovely (Meg / TV Newswoman), Liz Norton (Mrs. Spencer), Khaki Pixley (Dory / Girl Auditioning), Jonathan Stombres (Ru/ Nightclub Pianist) and Zachary Fewkes and Asher Schenk alternating the role of Franklin Shepard, Jr.

Musicians for Merrily We Roll Along include Tony Scandora (percussion), Ben Dillinger (bass), Mike Matlock (reeds #1: flute, oboe, clarinet, alto sax), Lara Regan (reeds #2: clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, bass clarinet), Jered Montgomery (trumpet) and Matt Kowalski (trombone).

Members of the creative/production team of Merrily We Roll Along include Michael Weber (director), Christopher Pazdernik (associate director/musical staging), Aaron Benham (music Director, conductor, pianist), Bill Morey (costume designer), Tony Churchill (projection designer),  Jeff Kmiec (co-scenic designer), Greg Pinsoneault (co-scenic designer), Robert Hornbostel (sound designer), Rachel West (master electrician), Alex Rhyan (production manager), Johnnie Schleyer (technical director) and Matt McMullen (stage manager).

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, DIRECTOR
Michael Weber is the artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre where, under his leadership, the company has received the Best Production Equity Jeff Award for the past five years. He previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center (1998-2004). His productions of End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pal Joey, Assassins and Side Show at Porchlight Music Theatre, Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Directing credits include Living the History-125 Years of The Auditorium Theatre starring Patti LuPone and John Mahoney, Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Petrified Forest at Theatre at the Center, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, Over the River and Through the Woods at The Mercury Theater, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Pheasant Run Theatre and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has written and directed the past twelve Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies. Weber’s regional acting credits include Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, It Had To Be You (starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka) at Little Theatre on the Square, Angel Street at First Folio Shakespeare and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. Weber is proud to serve as a pledge host on WTTW, Channel 11.

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER PAZDERNIK, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR/MUSICAL STAGING
Christopher Pazdernik is a director/choreographer with "a near encyclopedic knowledge of musicals" (Newcity). At Porchlight Music Theatre, Pazdernik is a proud artistic associate and has directed and choreographed numerous Porchlight Revisits including The Rink, Anyone Can Whistle, City of Angels and Applause and co-curated the Porchlight New Faces Sing Broadway series.  He is best known for the critically acclaimed production of High Fidelity (Jeff Awards for Best Director and Best Production of a Musical) at Refuge Theatre Project, where he also serves as artistic director. Recent credits include Carrie (Ohio Northern University), Wicked City (Chicago Theatre Workshop), Planted (Chicago Musical Theatre Festival), Make Me a Song (Eclectic Theatre Co.) and Story of A Story (The Untold Story) (Underscore 

Theater Co.). He is also a frequent cabaret director and curator, including Broadway's Cult Classics at Davenport's Piano Bar and the His & His series at Pride Films & Plays. An openly HIV+ artist, Pazdernik was also a 2016 Windy City Times 30-Under-30 honoree for his contributions to Chicago's LGBTQ community and currently serves on the Ambassador Committee for the AIDS Run/Walk Chicago and as chairperson on the Community Advisory Board for Howard Brown Health, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ organizations.

ABOUT AARON BENHAM, MUSIC DIRECTOR/CONDUCTOR/PIANIST
Aaron Benham is a local music director, conductor, arranger and composer and has previously worked with Porchlight as music director for Side Show and Putting it Together. Other Chicago credits include The Sweet Smell of Success (Kokandy Productions), The Wild Party (Jeff Award), Carrie, Dessa Rose (Bailiwick Chicago); Melancholy Play (Piven); We Three Lizas (About Face); Always Patsy Cline, revues of Marvin Hamlisch, the Andrews Sisters (Jeff Award), Cole Porter, Jule Styne (Theo-Ubique); Parade, Gypsy (Harper College); as well as work with American Theatre Company, Chicago Opera Theatre, the New Colony, Northlight, Timeline and Writers Theatre.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the Artists In-Residence program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.



ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
As the home for music theatre in Chicago now in its 23rd season, Porchlight Music Theatre is nationally recognized for reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences of music theatre through the lens of the “Chicago Style.” The 2017–2018 year marks a milestone for Porchlight as the company becomes an Artist In-Residence at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including the launch of a youth “Write Your Own Musical” Summer Camp in 2017. The company’s many accolades include 22 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and seven awards, as well as a total of 139 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 42 Jeff Awards including five consecutive Best Production awards for The Scottsboro Boys (2017), Dreamgirls (2016),  Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation, the Bloomberg Philanthropies, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, The Saints and the Topfer Family Foundation. The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

OPENING: World Premiere! Anti-Trump Musical WE THE PEOPLE Via Flying Elephant Productions at Stage 773 Through 2/10/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

World Premiere!

Flying Elephant Productions Presents

WE THE PEOPLE: The Anti-Trump Musical 

Book by Sean Chandler 

Music and Lyrics by Leo Schwartz

Directed by Derek Van Barham 

Music Direction by Ty Miles

January 26 – February 10, 2018 at Stage 773

Award winners Leo Schwartz (music/lyrics) and Sean Chandler (book) take six actors through fifty-five characters in this new political musical song cycle: We The People!

Run time: 70 minutes, no intermission

When politics gives you Trump, make a musical! Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're ready for a laugh after a year of cringeworthy executive decisions by 45. Flying Elephant Productions is ready to bring it, with the world premiere of WE THE PEOPLE: The Anti-Trump Musical, to launch their first season. I'll be out for the press opening this Saturday, January 27, so check back soon for my full review.

Flying Elephant Productions is pleased to launch its inaugural season with the world premiere of WE THE PEOPLE: The Anti-Trump Musical, a political musical song cycle about the turbulent 2016 election, with six actors playing 55 characters. This powerful new musical features a book by Sean Chandler, music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz, direction by Derek Van Barham and music direction by Ty Miles. WE THE PEOPLE will play January 26 – February 10, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at stage773.com, by calling (773) 327-5252 or in person at the Stage 773 box office. 

WE THE PEOPLE features Dwayne Everett, Bradley Halverson, Elizabeth Rentfro, Carmen Fisher Risi, Alyssa Soto and Timothy Swaim.

The election of 2016: Disappointment, Chaos, Intrigue, Anger, Response! This new political musical song cycle takes audiences from the party conventions through election night and its immediate aftermath into the realization of “Trump’s America.” It all culminates with a call to action from “We The People.”

Comments Flying Elephant Productions Executive Director Leo Schwartz, “Often, an artist’s job is to light dark corners and elucidate a way to a new understanding of the world. We see life differently and we passionately express our vision. Whether it’s to expose the workhouses of Victorian London in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, or the ravages of the Spanish Civil War in Picasso’s Guernica, or the social upheaval of the ‘60s with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, art inspires us to reconsider, to act, to challenge. We the People is a call to action to save those things which we hold most dear, our country and our freedom.”

The production team to date includes: Theron Wineinger (scenic design), Cat Wilson (lighting design), G. Max Maxin IV (projections design) and Neill Kelly (stage manager).



Location: Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Dates: Preview: Friday, January 26 at 8 pm
Regular run: Sunday, January 28 – Saturday, February 10, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 3:30 pm. 
Tickets: Preview $30. Regular run $40. Thursdays “Industry Night” $10 with headshot/resume.

Tickets are currently available at stage773.com, by calling (773) 327-5252 or in person at the Stage 773 box office.



About The Creative Team
Sean Chandler’s (Book) works include At The Flash (Pride Films and Plays Great Gay Play and Musical Contest Winner, Oscar Wilde Best New Work Nomination – Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, Outstanding Solo Performance – New York Fringe Festival), Running: A New Musical, Radical Morality (Nicholl Fellowship Quarter-Finalist, Creative World Awards Semi-Finalist, PFP Great Screenplay Contest Semi-Finalist), Kissing The Frog Prince (Scriptoid Writers Challenge, All Access Screenwriters Competition & The Screenplay Festival Semi- Finalist) and The Pack (Creative World Awards Semi-Finalist). Host of the Theater Podcast “Your Program Is Your Ticket”. Sean resides in New York City and is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild. www.seanwchandler.com

Leo Schwartz (Music & Lyrics) won the Jeff Award for Best New Work in 2013 in addition to numerous other awards and recognition for his works of musical theatre and film scores. His works of theatre and concert music have been presented all around the world by various theatres and organizations. Among his successful musicals are Under A Rainbow Flag, The Book of Merman, PEN, TILL and NAUGHTY!. He is the Executive Director of Flying Elephant Productions. www.leoschwartz.com
  
Derek Van Barham (Director) is an Artistic Associate with Pride Films & Plays, a member of the Red Tape Theatre ensemble and a former Artistic Director of The Ruckus. For PFP, he has directed Angry Fags (Steppenwolf Garage Repertory), Songs from an Unmade Bed (Jeff nomination: Best Director of a Musical or Revue), PRISCILLA, Queen of the Desert: The Musical and Terrence Mcnally’s Some Men (co-directed by David Zak). He also wrote, directed and choreographed BITE: A Pucking Queer Cabaret and Kill Your Boyfriends. Other directing credits include Miracle! by Dan Savage and Skooby Don't (Hell in a Handbag), Three Days of Rain (Boho Theatre), Trash and Deep in the Heart of Tuna (New American Folk Theatre) and From These Fatal Loins (The Ruckus). He has choreographed for Black Button Eyes (Coraline the Musical, Goblin Market, Amour), The Plagiarists, Inappropriate Theatre, Brain Surgeon Theatre and Salonathon. He can currently be seen improvising with the LGBT team Baby Wine (Fridays at The Annoyance). He was recently named one of Windy City Times 30 Under 30, recognizing individuals from Chicago's LGBTQ community. MFA: Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. 

Ty Miles (Music Director) is so excited to be working again on such a timely work. Classically trained in music composition and piano performance, Ty has written original songs and incidental music for several theater works including Derek Van Barham’s adaptation of Aristophanes’ Wealth and Dan Caffery’s play Gregor and the Squonk. He is also proud to have worked with Leo Schwartz before as assistant music director for the last two summer’s productions of We The People and PEN. 



About Flying Elephant Productions
Nothing is more challenging than getting a creative career off the ground. In many ways, it would be easier to get an elephant to fly. Flying Elephant Productions is dedicated to presenting new works, musicals and plays, that are dynamic, impassioned, and, in our belief, prone to fly. We not only give them first voice, but will also work with the creators to market and promote their work further. Our success at production and our entrepreneurial experience make us a uniquely qualified voice in theatre. For additional information, visit www.flyingelephantproductions.com.

OPENING: Skeleton Crew at Northlight Theatre Through 3/3/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Northlight Theatre continues its 2017-18 season with

Skeleton Crew

Written by Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Ron OJ Parson

Featuring Bernard Gilbert, Kelvin Roston Jr., AnJi White and Jacqueline Williams

January 25 – March 3, 2018

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're eager to catch Skeleton Crew, which concludes Dominique Morisseau's acclaimed trilogy. I had an informal chat with director, Ron OJ Parson recently and he peaked my interest in the production even more. He's even enlisted input on the show from a long time friend who has first hand experience working in the Detroit auto plants. I've thoroughly enjoyed Parson's directing prowess all over Chicago in the past few years, including Dominique Morisseau's Paradise Blue which was produced at Timeline Theatre in 2017. I'll be out for the press opening February 2nd, so check back soon for my full review.

Skeleton Crew is part of a 3-part cycle of play by Dominique Morisseau set in Detroit Previously, Detroit ‘67 was produced at Northlight and Paradise Blue was produced locally at TimeLine. Ron OJ Parson directed all of them.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2017-18 season with Skeleton Crew, written by Dominique Morisseau and directed by Ron OJ Parson. Skeleton Crew runs January 25 – March 3, 2018 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. 

At the start of the Great Recession, rumors of impending closure surround one of the last auto plants in Detroit. The nation’s financial crisis gets personal as each of the workers confronts the life-altering choices they must make if their plant goes under, while the supervisor is torn between allegiances to his makeshift family of co-workers and management’s “cost-saving” demands. When pushed to the limits of survival, how far over the lines are people willing to cross?

Playwright Dominique Morisseau was one of the Top 20 Most Produced Playwrights in America in 2015–16, with ten productions of her plays being produced. She is a two-time award winner of the NAACP Image Award, which celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors.

The third play in Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy, Skeleton Crew was named one of Time Magazine’s 10 Best Shows of the Year. BJ Jones comments, “Several years ago Northlight introduced playwright Dominique Morisseau to Chicago with Detroit '67, the first installment of her Detroit trilogy. Paradise Blue was produced at Timeline Theatre in 2017, and Skeleton Crew completes the trio. 

Her triptych spans decades of a sociopolitical evolution in her home city. With Skeleton Crew, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Morisseau looks at life on the assembly line—which feels like a conveyor belt to oblivion. Set in 2008, the diminishing workers are in a race to stay ahead of the collapsing economy, fighting for their financial lives. While much of the country has their eyes set on Wall Street, more concerned with their portfolios than their neighbors, the working majority don’t own stock and struggle to pay the rent. Dominique re-focuses our gaze on the majority, whose hourly wage becomes more precious by the day.” 

The cast of Skeleton Crew includes Bernard Gilbert (Dez), Kelvin Roston Jr. (Reggie), Jacqueline Williams (Faye) and AnJi White (Shanita).

The creative team includes Scott Davis (Scenic Design), Samantha C. Jones (Costume Design), Keith Parham (Lighting Design), and Ray Nardelli (Sound Design). The production stage manager is Rita Vreeland.

Northlight’s production of Skeleton Crew is supported in part by The Chicago Community Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, The Pauls Foundation, Carol and Steve Mullins, Bill and Eleanor Revelle, Hagerty Consulting, and Alan Zunamon and Nancy Cunniff.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Dominique Morisseau (Playwright) is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle) which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit ’67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem and NBT). Additional plays include: Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre); Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre) and Follow Me To Nellie’s (Premiere Stages). She is also the book writer on the new musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). Dominique is alumna of The Public Theater Emerging Writer’s Group, Women’s Project Lab, and Lark Playwrights Workshop and has developed work at Sundance Lab and Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Conference. Her work has been commissioned by the Hip Hop Theater Festival, Steppenwolf Theater Company, Women’s Project, South Coast Rep, People’s Light and Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival/Penumbra Theatre. She recently served as Co‐Producer on the Showtime series “Shameless.” Awards include: Stavis Playwriting Award, NAACP Image Award, Spirit of Detroit Award, Weissberger Award, PoNY Fellowship, Sky-­‐Cooper New American Play Prize, TEER Spirit Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama (Detroit ’67), Audelco and OBIE Award (Skeleton Crew).

Ron OJ Parson (Director) is a native of Buffalo, New York and is a graduate of the The University of Michigan’s professional theatre program. He is a resident artist at Court and former co-founder and artistic director of The Onyx Theatre Ensemble. Chicago credits include Court, Timeline (Company Member), Victory Gardens, Northlight, Teatro Vista (Associate Artist), Goodman, Black Ensemble, ETA, Congo Square, Chicago Dramatist, Urban Theatre Company, Steppenwolf, Chicago Theatre Company, City Lit, and Windy City Playhouse. Regional credits include Virginia Stage Company, Portland Stage, Studio Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Roundabout, Mechanic Theatre, Center Stage Baltimore, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Black Rep, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Geva Theatre, Signature Theatre (New York), Alliance Theatre, South Coast Rep, Kansas City Rep, and Pasadena Playhouse. Ron has also directed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Recent directing credits include Apt. 3A, East Texas Hot Links, Paradise Blue, Blues For An Alabama Sky, 5 Guys Named Moe, and Fences. Ron is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and SDC.

Bernard Gilbert (Dez) makes his Northlight debut. His other theatre credits include The Royale (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; and City Theatre, Pittsburgh), the world premiere of Man in the Ring (Court), Letters Home (Griffin Theatre), and Our Lady of 121st Street (Eclipse Theatre). Bernard is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul.


Kelvin Roston, Jr. previously appeared at Northlight in Morisseau’s Detroit ’67. He most recently appeared in the acclaimed production of Five Guys Named Moe at Court Theatre. 

Kelvin Roston Jr. (Reggie) returns to Northlight where he was last seen as Sly in Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit ’67.  Kelvin most recently played Four-eyed Moe in Court’s Five Guys Named Moe. Chicago credits: Congo Square, Court, Paramount, Marriott, Goodman, ITC, Eta, Writers, Black Ensemble, Timeline, Northlight, and Steppenwolf. Regional: The Black Rep, Fulton, New Theatre Restaurant, MSMT, and Baltimore Center Stage. International: Orb, Festival Hall. TV: Chicago Med, Chicago PD, KFC, and Instant Care.  Film: Get a Job, Princess Cyd, and Breathing Room. He is a 4-time Jeff Award nominee, Jeff winner (Best Ensemble, East Texas Hotlinks, Writers), 3-time BTA Award winner, and 2-time Black Excellence Award winner. He wrote and performed the play Twisted Melodies for which he won the Light in the Darkness Public Education Award from NAMI. Kelvin is an Artistic Associate of Congo Square, a proud member of AEA, and represented by Paonessa Talent.

AnJi White (Shanita) makes her Northlight debut. Chicago credits include Monticello (Aurora Works Theatre); Great & Terrible Wizard of Oz (House); The Last Wife, Sunset Baby (Timeline); The Project(s), Rent (ATC); Fabulation, or the Re-education of Undine (Pulse Theatre); Forgotten Future Remount (Collaboraction Theatre); Mud, River, Stone (Eclipse Theatre); Ithaka (Infusion Theatre) and Soul Samarai (Infusion Theatre). TV & Film credits: Chicago PD, Empire, Home for the Weekend (Pilot), and Hope Springs Eternal. Represented by Paonessa Talent, AnJi has received 3 BTAA nominations, 1 Jeff nomination and received the BTAA for Best Actress for Timeline’s Sunset Baby. 

Jacqueline Williams recently returned from Los Angeles where she reprised her role of Mae, opposite Phylicia Rashad, in Academy Award winner Tarell McCraney’s Head of Passes at Mark Taper Forum.

Jacqueline Williams (Faye) returns to Northlight after reprising her role of Mae in Academy Award winner Tarell McCraney’s Head of Passes at Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles opposite Phylicia Rashad. Northlight appearances include The Miser, Gees Bend, and Po’ Boy Tango. Broadway: Young Man From Atlanta. Off Broadway: From The Mississippi Delta (Oprah Winfrey co-produced), Talented Tenth, Mill Fire. Select Chicago credits include The Christians, Airline Highway, Head of Passes, Brother/Sister Plays (Steppenwolf); Man in the Ring, Gem of the Ocean, Fences, Caroline, or Change (Court); The House That Will Not Stand, A Wonder In My Soul (Victory Gardens); Pullman Porter Blues, stop.reset, Camino Real, Trinity River Plays and many more (Goodman). She has worked extensively regionally including tours with the Johannesbug’s Market Theatre and Crowns. TV/Film: Turks, recurring on Chicago Fire, PD, and Med; Empire, Prison Break, Heartlock, The Break Up, The Lake House. Her many awards/nominations include Jeff, Helen Hayes, BTAA, American Arts Council, Lunt-Fontanne (Shakespeare) Fellow and Excellence in the Arts. 

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.

Curtain times are: Tuesdays: 7:30pm (January 30 only); Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except February 21) and 7:30pm; Thursdays: 7:30pm; Fridays: 8:00pm; Saturdays: 2:30pm (except January 27) and 8:00pm; and Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (January 28 and February 25 only).

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

Backstage with BJ: Skeleton Crew
Friday, January 19 at noon
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 Skeleton Crew will last approximately one hour. The event is free but reservations are required. Visit https://northlight.org/events/backstage-with-bj/ to reserve your spot.

Inside Look: Skeleton Crew
Tuesday, February 6 at 2:00pm
 
Evanston Public Library
1703 Orrington Avenue, Evanston, IL
Explore the social and historical context of Skeleton Crew through a discussion and Q&A session with artists related to the production.

Community Panel Discussion
Saturday, February 10 at 3:00pm
Curt’s Café
 2922 Central St, Evanston, IL
The play portrays employees on the brink of probable unemployment, facing the pressures of mortgage payments, raising children, and potential homelessness. Northlight's Artistic team will engage with community organizations to discuss the relevance of the play's themes to Chicago's North Shore and what we can do to make a difference. Panelists include: Karen Tollenar Demorest, Executive Director, Youth Job Center; Andi Drileck, Vice President of Workforce Services, National Able Network; and Sue Loelbach, Manager of Advocacy, Connections for the Homeless.

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 43rd season, the organization has mounted over 200 productions, including nearly 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 203 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; and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

Dates:
Previews: January 25 – February 1, 2018
Regular run: February 3 – March 3, 2018

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

Wednesdays: 1:00pm (except February 21) and 7:30pm
Thursdays: 7:30pm 
Fridays: 8:00pm
Saturdays: 2:30pm (except January 27) and 8:00pm
Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:00pm (January 28 and February 25 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; northlight.org

OPENING: Ragtime at Marriott Theatre January 24 through March 18, 2018

 Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Terry James, Executive Producer

Andy Hite, Lead Artistic Director

Aaron Thielen, Artistic Director

PRESENTS THE TONY AWARD-WINNING BROADWAY CLASSIC

"Simply stunning in every detail"

- Variety

"A triumph for the stage"

- Time Magazine

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we adore Marriott Theatre productions, from their stellar casting choices to their unique theatre in the round staging. We're eager to see their latest extravaganza and kick off for their 2018 season, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, RAGTIME. I'll be out on February 1st to catch it, so check back soon for my full review.

From the volatile melting pot of New York City at the dawn of a new century, comes the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, RAGTIME, kicking off Marriott Theatre’s 2018 Season, January 24 through March 18, 2018 with a press opening on Wednesday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m. at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Featuring a powerful score by the Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and book by four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally, RAGTIME is a sweeping musical portrait of America. Seven-time Jeff Award winner Nick Bowling (The Bridges of Madison County, Man of La Mancha, The King and I) returns to Marriott Theatre to direct, with Musical Direction by Jeff Award winner Ryan T. Nelson and Choreography by Kenneth L. Roberson.

“RAGTIME is a musical about individual people, but it shows the bigger picture of a struggling country, which is often divided by race, class, and economic standing, working together for American progress,” says Director Nick Bowling. “We live in such explosive times, but often, to move forward, it is necessary to endure hardships, and I think that is what makes RAGTIME such an emotional and beautiful musical.”

At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing and anything is possible. Based on the distinguished novel by E.L. Doctorow, this musical weaves together three distinctly American tales – that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair... and what it means to live in America. Written by the award-winning composer/lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on this Island, Anastasia, Seussical) and noted playwright Terrence McNally, this acclaimed musical is filled with pageantry, emotion and hope, bursting onto the stage like no other musical.

RAGTIME stars Jeff Award Winner Kathy Voytko as “Mother” (Marriott Theatre: The Bridges of Madison County, Les Misérables; Chicago Shakespeare Theatre: Passion; Broadway: Oklahoma!, Nine, The Frogs, The Pirate Queen and Next to Normal); Jeff Award Winner Nathaniel Stampley as “Coalhouse Walker, Jr.” (Marriott Theatre: The Bridges of Madison County, Man of La Mancha; Broadway/National Tour: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; Broadway: Cats, The Color Purple and The Lion King; London: The Lion King; Apple Tree Theatre: Big River; Milwaukee Rep: Dreamgirls and Man of La Mancha); Benjamin Magnuson as “Tateh” (Broadway/National Tours: Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables), Katherine Thomas as “Sarah” (Griffin Theatre: Ragtime; Porchlight Theatre: Dream Girls), Adam Monley as “Father” (Broadway: Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, Tours: Deaf West’s Big River, Phantom of the Opera), and Will Mobley as “Younger Brother” (Writers Theatre: Julius Caesar, Days Like Today; Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night). RAGTIME also stars Paula Hlava as “Little Girl,” Patrick Scott McDermott  as “Little Boy,” Jonathan Butler Duplessis as “Booker T. Washington,” Christina Hall as “Emma Goldman,” Michelle Lauto as “Evelyn Nesbit,” Matt Deitchman as “Henry Ford,” Alexander Aguilar as “Harry Houdini,” Keirsten Hodgens as “Sarah’s Friend,” Terry Hamilton as “Grandfather,” Larry Adams as “J.P. Morgan,” and Ken Singleton as “Willie Conklin,” with Curtis Bannister, Shea Coffman, Autumn Hlava, Christopher Kale Jones, James Earl Jones II, Ron King, Teressa LaGamba, Blace McGraw, Ben Miller, Zoe Nadal, Khadijah Rolle and Elizabeth Telford.

The production will feature set design by Jeff Kmiec, lighting design by Jesse Klug, sound design by Robert E. Gilmartin, properties design by Sally Weiss, and musical supervision and orchestra conducted by Patti Garwood.  



The performance schedule for RAGTIME is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Ticket prices range from $50 to $60, including tax and handling fees. 

Call for student, senior and military discounts. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings there are a limited number of dinner-theatre packages available for purchase through the Marriott Theatre Box Office. To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.  

OPENING: Chicago Premiere of Nice Girl at Raven Theatre Through March 11th, 2018

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Premiere!

Raven Theatre Presents 

NICE GIRL

By Melissa Ross

Directed by Lauren Shouse

January 24 – March 11, 2018

Running time: 2 hours, including intermission

Raven Theatre is a Chicago storefront favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows. I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Raven Theatre for the press opening of Nice Girl on January 30th, so check back soon for my full review.

Raven Theatre is pleased to continue its 35th anniversary season with the Chicago premiere of Melissa Ross’s humorous and heartfelt play NICE GIRL, directed by Lauren Shouse, playing January 24 – March 11, 2018 in Raven’s 105-seat East Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177. 

NICE GIRL features Lynne Baker, Lucy Carapetyan, Stella Martin and Benjamin Sprunger.

It’s 1984 and Josephine Rosen finds herself stuck in her job, her spinsterhood and her mom’s house at age 37. But when a new friendship and a budding romance bring her the possibility of change, she takes tentative steps towards a new life with one powerful word: Yes. A play about the tragedy and joy of figuring out who you are, and letting go of who you were supposed to be.

The production team for NICE GIRL includes: Lauren Nigri (scenic design), Nöel Huntzinger (costume design), Rebecca Jeffords (lighting design), Sarah Putts (sound design), John Buranosky (properties design), Jason Martin (dialect specialist), Sydney Achler (scenic artist), Jordan Pokorney (assistant director) and Wilhelm Peters (stage manager).

Location: Raven Theatre East Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville), Chicago
Dates: Previews: Wednesday, January 24 at 7:30 pm, Thursday, January 25 at 7:30 pm, Friday, January 26 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, January 27 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, January 28 at 3 pm and Monday, January 29 at 7:30 pm
Press performance: Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Friday, February 2 – Sunday, March 11, 2018
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Thursday, February 1.

Tickets: Previews $32 ($29 if purchased online). Regular run $46 ($43 if purchased online). Seniors/teachers $41 ($38 if purchased online). Students/active military and veterans $15. Every Thursday is “Under 30 Thursday,” when patrons under age 30 can purchase tickets for $15. Single tickets and season subscriptions for both the 2017-18 Season and 2018-19 Season are currently available at www.raventheatre.com or by calling (773) 338-2177.

Group tickets: Groups of 10 or more are $30 per person for Thursday and Friday performances and $35 per person for Saturday and Sunday performances. Student groups are $15 per person.

Plan Your Visit: 
Free parking is provided in a lot adjacent to the theatre – additional street parking is available. Nearest El station: Granville Red Line, Buses: #22 (Clark), #36 (Broadway), #151 (Sheridan), #155 (Devon), #84 (Peterson).

About the Artists
Melissa Ross’s (Playwright) Plays include Thinner Than Water, A Life Extra Ordinary, Nice Girl, An Entomologist’s Love Story and Of Good Stock. Thinner Than Water and Nice Girl were both originally produced by LAByrinth Theater Company. Thinner Than Water is included in the anthology “New Playwrights: Best Plays of 2011” by Smith and Kraus. Nice Girl was a finalist for the Francesca Primus Prize and is in Applause’s  “Best Plays of 2015.” Of Good Stock received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory as a part of the Pacific Playwrights Festival followed by a production at Manhattan Theater Club. A Life Extra Ordinary premiered with The Gift Theatre Fall of 2016. An Entomologist’s Love Story is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Commission and an Edgerton New Play award recipient, and will premiere at The San Francisco Playhouse Spring of 2018. Her short play Jack was a part of Summer Shorts 2017 and will be published by Dramatists Play Service. Melissa’s plays have been developed with The Amoralists, The Cherry Lane Theater, Colt Coeur, Dorset Theater Festival, The Gift Theatre, Iama Theatre Company, The Juilliard School, Labyrinth Theater Company, LCT3, Manhattan Theater Club, Montana Rep, New York Stage and Film, The New Group, South Coast Repertory, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and the TheatreWorks Palo Alto New Works Festival. She is twice commissioned by both South Coast Repertory and Manhattan Theater Club. Melissa is a graduate of Bennington College and the Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Program at The Juilliard School, a two-time winner of the Le Comte de Nouy Prize and a proud member of LAByrinth Theater Company.

Lauren Shouse (Director) is the Artistic Associate and Literary Manager at Northlight Theatre. Her recent directing credits include: The Legend of Georgia McBride at Northlight Theatre, Betrayal at Raven Theatre, Rapture, Blister, Burn, Superior Donuts and A Christmas Story at Nashville Repertory Theatre, the world premiere of Long Way Down with 3Ps productions (nominated for American Theatre Critics Association Steinberg New Play Award 2011); the world premiere of Religion and Rubber Ducks with Ovvio Arte; Parallel Lives, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Last Five Years and Chess in Concert with Street Theatre Company; the world premiere of Rear Widow at Chaffin's Barn Theatre and Sylvia Plath’s 3 Women. As Artistic Associate at Nashville Rep, Lauren directed the Ingram New Works Play Lab and Festival, which developed new works by John Patrick Shanley, David Auburn, Steven Dietz and Victoria Stewart. Lauren also co-founded Ten Minute Playhouse, a company that produced short plays by local playwrights. Before moving to Nashville, Lauren lived in London, UK and worked with Producer/Director Hugh Wooldridge. Her work abroad includes: Production Executive for The Night of 1000 Voices (celebrating John Kander and Fred Ebb and starring Joel Grey with Avenue Q) at The Royal Albert Hall; Production Executive of An Evening with Michael Parkinson at The Theatre Royal - Windsor, Children's Director/Assistant to the Director of A Gift of Music, and Assistant Director of The Night of 1000 Voices at The Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Ireland. Lauren holds an MA in Performance Studies from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill where she adapted and directed The Time Traveler’s Wife. She received her MFA in theatre directing at Northwestern University where she directed Stop Kiss, Eurydice and In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play. In Chicago, Lauren has also worked with Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Rivendell Theatre, Sideshow Theatre, Route 66, Chicago Dramatists, The Gift and Stage Left Theatre.www.laurenshousedirects.com

About Raven Theatre
Raven Theatre tells stories of today and the past that connect us to our cultural landscape. Through its plays as well as its educational programming, Raven is committed to serving our communities’ needs through the arts.

Raven Theatre Company is funded in part by the Alphawood Foundation, Dramatists Guild Fund, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development, S&C Electric, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the PAV Fund and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.