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Saturday, March 9, 2019

OPENING: My Name is Rachel Corrie Via Jacaranda Collective at The Den Theatre in Chicago

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar


Jacaranda Collective Presents
MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE
Taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie
Edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner


Directed by Sam Bianchini
March 22-April 6, 2019 @ the Den Theatre

The Den Theatre, Chicago: Jacaranda Collective is thrilled to be bringing the words of Rachel Corrie to Chicago in their production of My Name is Rachel Corrie. 

“And what would I write about if I only stayed within the doll’s house, the flower-world I grew up in?”

When a young writer’s growing knowledge of world events leads her to nonviolent activism and human rights observation in the Gaza strip, she witnesses first hand the personal experiences of the people behind the news headlines. 

Taken from the intense and the poetic journals, adapted by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner, My Name is Rachel Corrie boldly poses the question: what do we owe the rest of humanity?  The show opens on March 22nd and will run Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through April 6th, with one performance on Monday the 25th. All at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $25 general admission, $15 student/senior, and available at the door or at The Den Theatre.

On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by a bulldozer at the age of twenty-three, while she was working to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. My Name is Rachel Corrie is a one-woman show taken directly from Rachel’s writings that paints the portrait of a messy, skinny, articulate, Salvador Dali-loving chain-smoker (with a passion for the music of Pat Benatar), who left home and school in Olympia, Washington, to join hundreds of others in non-violent activism in the tumultuous Gaza Strip.

This will be the first production produced by Jacaranda Collective. 
Associate Artistic Director, Halie Robison, will take on the title role of this one-woman show. Robinson has previously worked with Muse of Fire, Promethean Theatre Ensemble, Midsommer Flight, Ghostlight Ensemble, and Jacaranda Collective.

Artistic Director, Sam Bianchini, has taken on the role of Director. Bianchini has been working as an actress/director/producer/writer in both Film and Theatre around LA, NYC, and Chicago for the past 14 years. Rachel Corrie will be her Chicago debut as a director. She said of the show, “In this extremely polarized time where news is often confined to headlines and sensationalized stories are shared at an alarming rate, Rachel’s story is not only timely but absolutely critical. She asks us to look at the humans behind the headlines, their families, their hopes, their dreams, and implores us to see the consequences of our actions. Her haunting and brilliant words drip with vulnerability, humor, and an urgency that I believe is imperative in this paramount moment in the history of our world.”

Rachel Corrie’s writings have been translated into Arabic, Hebrew, French, Italian and Spanish and are recognized as a powerfully honest insight, not only into one of the most complicated international political conflicts but also into human nature.  

What: Jacaranda Collective is thrilled to bring the powerful and haunting words of Rachel Corrie to Chicago in their production of My Name is Rachel Corrie. The show is composed of Rachel’s own journals, letters, and emails. It details her life as she leaves her home in Olympia, Washington to work as a non-violent activist in the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The show opens on March 22nd and will run Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through April 6th, with one show on Monday, March 25th. All at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $25 and available at the door or at The Den Theatre.

Who: Jacaranda Collective

When: March 22nd- April 6th at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Den Theatre, Chicago

Tickets: Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at the door or at The Den Theatre. Discounts available for students.

OPENING: World Premiere of Detour Guide Via Silk Road Rising Co-Produced with Stage Left Theatre March 11–April 7, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

March 11–April 7, 2019
Detour Guide
The World Premiere
Co-Produced with Stage Left Theatre
Written and Performed by Karim Nagi
Directed by Anna C. Bahow


** RUN TIME: The performance is approximately 90 minutes 
with no intermission**


Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're eager to catch Detour Guide. I'll be out to review on the 16th, so check back soon. In the meantime, grab your tickets to experience Silk Road Rising's latest. In Detour Guide, Karim guides his audience with music, dance, costumes, and language, and he teaches them about the Arab World and Arab America. Come to listen, laugh, and learn.

We go to the theatre to learn about each other. As Karim Nagi says, “I believe familiarity helps people appreciate one another.”

The star of Detour Guide is an Egyptian-born drummer, DJ, composer, and folk dancer. Over the course of his career, Karim has released CDs of this unique brand of Arab House/Electronica, has become well versed in the ultra-traditional styles of Arab music, has promoted the study of Arab dance in the United States, and more. But Karim is also a teacher. 




When Karim Nagi plays the drums, it’s to the beat of both the bustling avenues of American metropolises and the busy streets of Cairo.

When he dances, he moves across space and genre, blending traditions and styles.

When he sings, he does so from the heart, allowing his voice to glide along the waves of emotions, and memories of contradictions, frustrations, and optimisms that come out of his immigrant experience.

Detour Guide is Karim’s musical that takes us on an alternative tour of the Arab World and Arab America. Using lyrics, percussion and an urban soundscape, master storyteller and musician Karim Nagi guides us through a social and political labyrinth, extolling the virtues of revolution, immigration, and hummus along the way.



Who is Karim Nagi?

He is a musician. He is a drummer. He is a DJ. He is a folk dancer. He is a storyteller.

As an artist, he weaves together his many talents to create a unique and captivating experience for his audience.

Karim Nagi is your guide for the world premiere of Detour Guide.

“In Detour Guide, I’m imitating the Arabic rawi storytelling style which relies on hyperbole and exaggeration, rhyme and word play,” says Karim.

For this co-production between Silk Road Rising and Stage Left Theatre Company, Karim pulls from different instrumental voices, world experiences, and the rich cultural traditions of the Arab World and Arab America to assemble a journey, an alternative guide, through some of the most pervasive social and political issues of our time.

“My agenda is to demonstrate the depth of Arab art as exemplified in music and dance. My presentations are highly participatory and entertaining. Arab culture, through the universal language of music, becomes demystified and humanized. The beauty and authenticity of Arabic music and dance serve as a convincing demonstration of the simultaneous exoticism and familiarity of this ancient culture.”

* LOCATION: Our theatre is located in The Historic Chicago Temple Building at 77 West Washington Street, Pierce Hall (lower level). It’s the corner of Washington & Clark, entrance is on Washington Street. Once you enter the building, take an elevator to the lower level. The box office is to your left as you exit the elevator. Please come up to the box office to check in and to receive your program book which will serve as your ticket to the performance.

* PARKING: If you’re driving, we offer a $10 discounted parking at WMW Park, 2 blocks west of the theatre at 172 West Madison Street. Entrance to the parking lot is at the north-east corner of Madison & Wells. Be sure to request a validation coupon from our box office.

* DINING: We have several excellent dining partners—please consider them as you make your dinner plans: Beef & Brandy (diner food) and Bella Bacinos (pasta & pizza). To learn more, visit our dining partners web page at www.silkroadrising.org/dining/

* CONCESSIONS: We will be offering concessions at the theatre and you are allowed to bring concessions purchased at the theater into the performance space. We’ll be selling bottled water, tea, and coffee; as well as sweet and salty snacks. No alcohol or outside food allowed.

* SEATING: As we offer general seating, please arrive 20 minutes prior to curtain to get your seats. The theatre is configured for riser seating. All seating is first come, first served. Late arrivals will be seated at the discretion of house management, if possible.

* SURVEY: A post-attendance survey will be emailed to you. Please help us serve you better by completing the survey within 24-hours of receiving it.

Thank you…is there anything else you’d like to learn about that is not discussed above? If so, just give us a call at 312-857-1234 x201 or email us at boxoffice@silkroadrising.org



TICKET LOTTERY: $25 Tickets Via Digital Lottery for A Bronx Tale and Rush Ticket Policy

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar 

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO ANNOUNCES DIGITAL LOTTERY AND RUSH
TICKET POLICY FOR A BRONX TALE



Book by CHAZZ PALMINTERI, Music by ALAN MENKEN and Lyrics by GLENN SLATER
Directed by ROBERT DE NIRO and JERRY ZAKS
Choreographed by SERIGO TRUJILLO

JAMES M. NEDERLANDER THEATRE
MARCH 12-24, 2019

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce there will be a digital lottery and rush tickets for A BRONX TALE which will play Broadway In Chicagoกฏs James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph) for a limited two-week engagement March 12-24, 2019.

The digital lottery will begin March 11 at 9AM, and 40 tickets will be sold for every performance at $25 each. The lottery will happen online only the day before each performance.  In addition, a limited number of day-of-show rush tickets will be offered for each performance at $39 each. These will be available at all performances of the run for purchase in-person at the James M. Nederlander Theatre box office beginning when the box office opens daily. Seat locations vary per performance for the digital lottery and day-of show tickets.



HOW TO ENTER THE DIGITAL LOTTERY

Follow this link. Click here for details and to enter the lottery.
Click the Enter Now button for the performance you want to attend.
Fill out the entry form including the number of tickets you would like (1 or 2). Patrons will receive a confirmation email once they have validated their email (one time only) and successfully entered the lottery.
After the lottery closes, patrons will be notified via email within minutes as to whether they have won or not.

Winners have 60 minutes from the time the lottery closes to pay online with a credit card.

After payment has been received, patrons can pick up tickets at the James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph) no sooner than 30 minutes before show time with a valid photo ID.

DIGITAL LOTTERY ADDITIONAL RULES
Limit 1 entry per person, per performance. Multiple entries will not be accepted. Patrons must be 18 years old and have a valid, non-expired photo ID that matches the names used to enter. Tickets are non-transferable. All lottery prices include a $3.50 facility fee. Ticket limits and prices displayed are at the sole discretion of the show and are subject to change without notice. Lottery prices are not valid on prior purchases. Lottery ticket offer cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. All sales final - no refunds or exchanges.  Lottery may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. No purchase necessary to enter or win.  A purchase will not improve your chances of winning.



ABOUT A BRONX TALE
The new musical features a book by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo.

A BRONX TALE premiered at the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse to critical and popular acclaim in Spring 2016.

Based on the one-man show that inspired the now classic film, this streetwise musical will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he'd love to be. Featuring an original doo-wop score, this is a tale about respect, loyalty, love, and above all else: family.

The design team for A BRONX TALE includes Beowulf Boritt, Scenic Design (Tony Award nomination for T. Raquin, Tony Awards for Act One, The Scottsboro Boys); William Ivey Long, Costume Design (six-time Tony Award winner, Rodgers & Hammersteinกฏs Cinderella, Grey Gardens); Howell Binkley, Lighting Design (Tony Award for Jersey Boys, Tony Award nomination for Hamilton); Gareth Owen, Sound Design (Tony Award nominations for A Little Night Music and End of the Rainbow); Paul Huntley, Hair & Wig Design (Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre, Fun Home, The Visit); Anne Ford-Coates, Makeup Design (On Your Feet!, Disaster!); Tara Rubin Casting, Casting (Aladdin, Les Miserables, Jersey Boys); and Robert Westley, Fight Coordinator (Hand to God, Important Hats of the Twentieth Century). Music Supervision and Arrangements are by Ron Melrose (Jersey Boys), Orchestrations are by Doug Besterman (three-time Tony Award winner, It Shoulda Been You, Bullets Over Broadway) and Musical Direction is by Jonathan Smith (Jersey Boys).

A BRONX TALE evolved from the one-man Off-Broadway play, A Bronx Tale, written and performed by Chazz Palminteri in 1989. During the original Off Broadway and subsequent Los Angeles engagements, Robert De Niro came to see the show, and brought the story and star Palminteri to the screen in 1993, making his film directorial debut in the process. Following the success of the film, Palminteri performed the one-man show A Bronx Tale on Broadway in the 2007-2008 Season.

For more information, visit www.ABronxTaleTheMusical.com

Follow A BRONX TALE: @Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesdays at 7:30PM
Wednesdays at 2:00PM & 7:30PM (no matinee on March 13)
Thursdays at 7:30PM
Fridays at 7:30PM
Saturdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM
Sundays at 2:00PM and 7:30PM (no evening performance on March 24)

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for A BRONX TALE are on-sale now and range in price from $27-$98 with a select number of premium seats available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 19 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago's Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

Broadway In Chicago proudly celebrates 2019 as the Year of Chicago Theatre.
 For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago 
Twitter @broadwaychicago 
Instagram @broadwayinchicago 
#broadwayinchicago

SAVE THE DATES: Writers Theatre Announces 2019/20 Season

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar


Season includes Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s 
INTO THE WOODS
directed by Gary Griffin;
THE NICETIES, 
written by Eleanor Burgess and directed by Marti Lyons;
Lydia R. Diamond’s 
STICK FLY 
directed by Ron OJ Parson; and 
MEMENTOS MORI 
created by Manual Cinema
to play in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre

Henrik Ibsen’s 
A DOLL’S HOUSE, 
adapted by Sandra Delgado
and Michael Halberstam and directed by Lavina Jadhwani;
and Anna Ziegler’s 
THE LAST MATCH, 
directed by Keira Fromm
to play in the Gillian Theatre

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're beyond excited for Writers Theatre's upcoming season. They've got a stellar lineup and some of our favorites slated to direct! Save the dates and order early for the best seat selection, or consider a season package.

Writers Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the company’s 2019/20 six play season, opening with Into the Woods, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, and directed by Gary Griffin in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre. The season will continue with The Niceties, written by Eleanor Burgess and directed by Marti Lyons; Lydia R. Diamond’s Stick Fly, directed by Ron OJ Parson; and Mementos Mori, created by Manual Cinema. A new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, adapted by Sandra Delgado and Michael Halberstam and directed by Lavina Jadhwani, will open the season in the Gillian Theatre, followed by Anna Ziegler’s The Last Match, directed by Keira Fromm.

The 2019/20 Season marks the fourth full season in the company’s award-winning new home at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe, designed by Studio Gang Architects. Productions will be presented in two spaces in the theater complex including the 255-seat Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre as well as the Gillian Theatre, a 50 to 99-seat flexible theatre space.

From its very first year, Writers Theatre has brought quality and excellence to the stage while maintaining the company’s hallmark intimacy. The last 27 years have seen unprecedented growth in both the artistic and business arenas as the company has garnered national acclaim and recognition, marked by the celebrated opening of the Theatre’s new facility in February of 2016. With a longstanding reputation for consistent artistic excellence and with strong ties to the community, the Theatre has built an award-winning repertoire and serves as a vital and highly regarded company in the Chicagoland theatre community.

Artistic Director Michael Halberstam comments, “We are delighted to present to you the 2019/20 lineup for Writers Theatre. With a refreshing mix of revitalized classics and exciting new voices, we have compiled a season that captures the essential conversations we are having as a nation right now. Art has the primary function of holding the mirror up to nature but, in doing so, it must also entertain and engage. The messages we share with you this coming season are essential and necessary. But they will arrive skillfully and delightfully crafted to draw you into worlds of theatrical magic that encourage you to think about the world with nuance, empathy and, perhaps most importantly, imagination. In other words, we have compiled six “must-see” productions and have invited the Chicago area’s most exciting storytellers to bring them to thrilling and sophisticated life!"

Season Packages are available at the Box Office, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, 847-242-6000 and www.writerstheatre.org.

Writers Theatre is pleased to welcome back BMO Harris Bank as the distinguished 2019/20 Season Sponsor, marking the Bank’s ninth consecutive year as season sponsor.

The Writers Theatre 2019/20 Season includes:


INTO THE WOODS
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Music Direction and Re-Orchestrations by Matt Deitchman
Directed by Gary Griffin
August 14 – September 22, 2019
Opening August 21, 2019
Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

See the classic fairy tale characters you think you know come to magical life in this smart and subversive musical theatre masterpiece by American icons Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine!

When a childless baker and his wife set out to lift their family curse by journeying into the woods, they encounter Jack (with his beanstalk), Cinderella (and her prince) and Little Red Riding Hood (and her wolf)! These familiar characters find themselves in decidedly unfamiliar circumstances and must brave the darkness of the woods in an effort to break the curse, conquer their fears and find out if what they’ve always wished for is what they truly want.

This epic fairy tale adventure will be reimagined in a newly-configured Nichols Theatre to be staged “in the round,” drawing audiences into a theatrical experience unlike anything you’ve seen at WT! With its celebrated score, stirring script and an extraordinary team of artists bringing it all to life, Into the Woods launches WT's 2019/20 Season as the musical theatre event of the summer. Chicago and Broadway Director Gary Griffin (Parade) returns to stage this Tony Award-winning musical about fairy tales, family and what happens after “happily ever after.”


A DOLL’S HOUSE
Written by Henrik Ibsen
Adapted by Sandra Delgado and Michael Halberstam
Directed by Lavina Jadhwani
September 25 – December 15, 2019
Opening October 2, 2019
The Gillian Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

This celebrated drama by the playwright of WT’s smash hit Hedda Gabler receives a sleek, streamlined interpretation that is unpredictable, fresh and captivating.

This focused one-act adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen classic reinvigorates the compelling story of the vibrant young Nora Helmer, deeply devoted to her husband Torvald. However, all is not as it appears: when Nora takes action to protect her husband, she unwittingly puts them both in jeopardy, testing the bonds of their marriage and forcing them to take stock of their relationship and ask themselves how well they truly know one another…

Directed by Lavina Jadhwani (Vietgone) and given an intensely intimate staging in the Gillian Theatre, A Doll’s House draws the audience into the middle of a combustible domestic moment as husband and wife must navigate truth and deceit, and determine whether their seemingly perfect life is truly the one they thought they always wanted.


THE NICETIES
Written by Eleanor Burgess
Directed by Marti Lyons
November 6 – December 15, 2019
Opening November 13, 2019
Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

What happens when theoretical arguments suddenly turn personal in the ivory tower of an elite East Coast university? Don’t miss the thrilling, provocative new play that The Washington Post calls “one of the best plays about who gets to tell the story of America, and how.”

In The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess, an accomplished Ivy League professor holds routine office hours with an ambitious young student to discuss her thesis: if history is written by the victors, who tells the story of the oppressed? Before long, quibbles over vocabulary and Wikipedia citations turn into a dangerous debate as both women passionately defend their perspective and their personal worldview—until one of them puts everything on the line to make her case.

This taut, intelligent new play will make you question your own assumptions and reevaluate whether generation gaps can be bridged while gaps in knowledge—and in experience—remain. Director Marti Lyons (Witch) returns to WT to stage this intellectual thriller of a play that examines equality, revolution and what happens when people set aside the niceties and reveal what’s really on their minds.



STICK FLY
Written by Lydia R. Diamond
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
February 5 – March 16, 2020
Opening February 12, 2020
Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

Sibling rivalries and parental expectations come to a head as family secrets emerge during a weekend away that becomes more “interrogation” than “relaxation” in this witty and moving rollercoaster of a family comedy-drama.

What begins as a relaxing summer weekend on Martha’s Vineyard escalates when the LeVay brothers bring their new girlfriends home to meet their affluent and imposing parents. But even as the newcomers find themselves under familial scrutiny, long-hidden family tensions bubble to the surface and by the end of the weekend, almost everyone at the Vineyard finds themselves under a microscope as they grapple with arguments about class, race and cultural expectations.

Lydia R. Diamond (Smart People) brings her gift for sharp dialogue, complex characters and relevant themes back to WT with this timely look at African-American elite aristocracy, social assumptions and family dynamics. Directed by WT Resident Director Ron OJ Parson (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, East Texas Hot Links), this bitingly funny comedy is sure to keep you talking long after the lights have come up.


THE LAST MATCH
Written by Anna Ziegler
Directed by Keira Fromm
March 18 – June 7, 2020
Opening March 25, 2020
The Gillian Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

With all the passion and tension of a U.S. Open tennis final, The Last Match serves up a thrillingly theatrical look at what motivates our greatest ambitions and fuels our strongest desires.

When a young Russian tennis phenom and an American superstar in his prime meet at center court, it’s a tough call whether the greatest drama is playing out off the court or on! As the swift action volleys between primetime tennis matches and the most pivotal moments in the personal lives of the competitors and their equally driven romantic partners, sharp and insightful playwright Anna Ziegler (Photograph 51) draws you inside the minds of all four as they face challenges in sport, life and love. What results is a fast-paced and moving montage exploring family, the sacrifices we make for success and the legacy we leave behind.

Rising Chicago director Keira Fromm brings her finely-tuned vision to this gripping drama, staged in the intimate Gillian Theatre. You won’t want to miss this engrossing, rapid-fire take on what it means to finally achieve greatness, only to be left wanting more. In The Last Match, there is much more than just a championship on the line!


Writers Theatre presents
MEMENTOS MORI
Created by Manual Cinema
May 6 – June 14, 2020
Opening May 13, 2020
Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre | 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

This whimsical performance piece allows the audience to experience a motion picture created right before their eyes, using creative shadow-puppetry, innovative projections and a live musical score to tell its transformative and charming story about life, death and what comes in between.

When the persona of “Death” unexpectedly finds herself in California, she trades her scythe for an iPhone and wanders Hollywood, “swiping right” on loss and introducing unexpected connections into the otherwise disparate lives of a ghost, a young girl, and an elderly projectionist. This ambitious show uses multiple puppets, seven overhead projectors, two cameras and three screens to create a live “movie” for the audience. Accompanied by four musicians playing an original score, along with live foley sound effects, the result is a rich mosaic of cinematic storytelling!

Recently named the Chicago Tribune’s “Company of the Year” Manual Cinema uses disarmingly simple tools to tell transformative stories. Now they bring their new, feature-length performance to the Nichols stage, giving WT audiences the opportunity to experience this fresh and unique style of intimate storytelling.


SEASON PACKAGES
Writers Theatre season ticket packages provide a convenient theatergoing experience and guarantee access to all of WT’s highly anticipated productions throughout the season. Six-play subscription packages are available, ranging in price from $249 to $389.

Three and four-play “Choose Your Own” Flex packages start at $199.

Season package subscribers receive exclusive benefits including complimentary ticket exchanges by phone and mail (upgrade fees may apply), access to special play readings and lectures, special “subscriber-rate” prices on additional tickets, a one-year subscription to The Brief Chronicle newsmagazine and more. For a complete list of benefits visit writerstheatre.org.

Season Packages are available at the Box Office, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, 847-242-6000 and writerstheatre.org.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
For additional information about the WT Audience Enrichment programs listed below, visit writerstheatre.org/events.

Pre-Show Conversation: Up Close
Join us at 6:45pm before every Thursday evening performance (excluding previews and extension dates) of all productions in the Nichols Theatre for a 15-minute primer on the context and content of the play facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

Post-Show Conversation: The Word
Join us after every Tuesday evening performance (excluding previews and extension dates) for a 15-minute discussion of the play, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

Post-Show Conversation: The Artist
Join us after every Wednesday evening performance (excluding previews and extension dates) for a 15-minute talk-back featuring actors from the production, facilitated by a member of the WT Artistic Team.

From Page to Stage Series
WT and select North Shore libraries and community partners present the 15th annual From Page to Stage Series. This comprehensive series of special events, lectures, readings and film viewings are designed to enhance and enrich the audience experience of WT productions each season.  All events are FREE of charge and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information about the From Page to Stage Series, visit writerstheatre.org/from-page-to-stage-series.

WT also offers Access Performances, including ASL-interpretation and Open Captioning on select dates for each production.  Please visit writerstheatre.org/ accessibility for more information.



ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE
For more than 25 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to contemporary theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, WT has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called the top regional theatre in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a sold-out and discerning audience of more than 60,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry—providing the finest interpretations of both classic and contemporary theatre in its two intensely intimate venues. 

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home—a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre, follow @WritersTheatre on Twitter or @Writers_Theatre on Instagram. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.

Thursday, March 7, 2019

NEXT FRIDAY: One Night Only Staged Reading of All New Feminist Play "Reap The Grove" March 15th at The Den Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

REAP THE GROVE
By Caity-Shea Violette

One night only staged reading of an all-new feminist play
Directed by Julie Proudfoot
March 15, 2019 - 7:30 PM 


**Winner of the 2017 Artemisia Fall Festival**


Staged reading of dramedy REAP THE GROVE set for Friday, March 15 at The Den

Caity-Shea Violette’s play of a family of women reconnecting in the face of a life-altering decision was the winner of the 2017 Artemisia Fall Festival

Caity-Shea Violette’s heartbreakingly funny new play is a riveting story about a family of women struggling to reconnect as they react to an unexpected end-of-life decision. This new dramedy was the winner of Artemisia’s 2017 Fall Festival of new plays, earning it this staged reading. Artemisia’s Founding Artistic Director Julie Proudfoot will direct the reading, to be performed at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee, on Friday, March 15 at 7:30 pm.

In REAP THE GROVE, Sandra and Nan have a loving marriage, estranged daughters and a very special problem.  Sandra has decided to end her life on her own terms following a terminal diagnosis.  She summons her two daughters, Judith and Beckah, home to spend her final days with them.  REAP THE GROVE examines this family of women authentically, fearlessly and with a big dose of smart humor.  

Proudfoot’s cast for the reading includes Denise Hoelfich  (Compass Theatre’s WHAT WE’RE UP AGAINST) as Sandra; Justine Serino (of productions with The Gift, Silk Road Rising and many others) as Nan; Tina El Gamal (I CALL MY BROTHERS with Interrobang) as Beckah; and Elisabeth Del Toro (SHE KILLS MONSTERS with The Cuckoo’s Theater Project) as Judith.

Playwright Caity-Shea Violette is a Chicago native currently pursuing her MFA in playwriting at Boston University. She will return to Chicago for this one-night-only reading and participate in a post-reading discussion led by director Julie Proudfoot.  Violette has been working closely on the script with Proudfoot, who is a story analyst for HBO Films and Fremantle Media in addition to her work as a stage director and actress. Violette says, “Artemisia will be a powerful home to nurture this story and further empower me to push my artistic bravery to new heights to discover and honor each layer of these four women."

REAP THE GROVE is another example of Artemisia’s mission to find and develop dynamic and empowering new plays with compelling female characters who have agency, independence, and are the focal point of their own narratives. The company’s development process includes its annual Fall Festival, in which new scripts each year are given public readings; a close collaboration between Artistic Director Proudfoot and the playwright on a developmental workshop with audience discussion of each festival’s winner the following year; and a culminating fully-staged production of that play with a multi-week run the year after that.  Artemisia will stage the Midwest Premiere of SWEET TEXAS RECKONING by Traci Godfrey, winner of Fall Festival 2016, from June 7-30, 2019 at The Den.


Tickets for REAP THE GROVE are $15 and are now on sale at www.artemisiatheatre.org

CAITY-SHEA VIOLETTE (playwright) is a Chicago-based playwright and actress. Her national award-winning work has been seen in Washington D.C., New York City, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Toronto, Denver, and Chicago. She holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and is a graduate of the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. Caity-Shea is currently pursuing her MFA in playwriting at Boston University and is passionate about exploring trauma, invisible disabilities, and gender-based violence, by creating new work for women.

Caity-Shea’s awards and recognition include: National Award Winner of the 2019 Susan Glaspell Playwriting Festival, Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival New Play Competition (National Finalist), The Kennedy Center's National Partners of the American Theatre Playwriting Excellence Award (Winner), Shakespeare's Sister Playwriting Fellowship (National Semi-Finalist), InspiraTO Playwriting Contest (Winner), Kennedy Center’s Irene Ryan Acting Competition (National Finalist), Kennedy Center's David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award (National Semi-Finalist), Kennedy Center's National Ten-Minute Play Competition (National Finalist, National Semi-Finalist), Kennedy Center's John Cauble for Outstanding Short Play (Regional Runner-Up). More information available at www.caitysheaviolette.com. 


JULIE PROUDFOOT (Director) As Founder and Artistic Director, Julie is the vision behind Artemisia, selecting the plays that are featured each season in the annual fall festival and developing and directing the theatre’s premiere productions.  An actor, director and producer, Julie is proud to be part of the amazing Chicago Theatre community and make the city home to Artemisia.  Julie’s work as an actor was most recently seen on NBC’s popular series CHICAGO MED, and as a performing understudy in TimeLine’s outstanding production of A SHAYNA MAIDEL. Julie has also acted with Shakespeare Project of Chicago, Equity Library Theatre, Nebraska Rep and Artemisia, among others, and has numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits.  Julie is a story analyst for HBO Films and Fremantle Media and has extensive experience developing, directing and producing new work.




The Den Theatre
1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
All seats $15.00
More info & tickets at http://artemisiatheatre.org/plays/



ABOUT ARTEMISIA: A CHICAGO THEATRE
Founded in 2011, Artemisia, A Chicago Theatre is a professional, not-for-profit theatre that produces all-new, dynamic and empowering plays that center on women who have agency, independence, and are the focal point of their own narratives, to create gender parity both onstage and off. Each season, Artemisia produces its Fall Festival of new play readings as well as fully staged productions of new plays it has developed. Artemisia is a 501 c 3 organization and, as such, relies heavily on public support to fund theatre that promotes equality and social justice for all women and girls.  

Artemisia Gentileschi was a Baroque artist whose paintings depicted violence with fierce honesty and elegance. For centuries after her death, her art was attributed to men. Feminist curators in the late 1970’s rediscovered Artemisia, who is now considered the greatest female painter prior to the modern period. A common theme in Gentileschi’s later work is women in moments of power, or triumph, which is why she is the perfect namesake for Artemisia.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

OPENING: CHICAGO PREMIERE OF ADMISSIONS AT THEATER WIT MARCH 21-MAY 12, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

WHITE LIBERALS FORCED TO DEFEND THEIR
WHITE PRIVILEGE IN 
ADMISSIONS


THEATER WIT TO PRESENT CHICAGO PREMIERE OF JOSHUA HARMON’S NEW CONTEMPORARY SATIRE, 
MARCH 21-MAY 12

Racial diversity in private schools. College apps and quotas. White liberal guilt. Playwright Joshua Harmon takes aim at all of this along with political correctness of all kinds in his newest play, Admissions.

Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, is excited to announce it will present the Midwest premiere of Admissions, Harmon’s hilarious and scathing family drama, sure to press audience members’ buttons as it tackles hallowed, yet thorny, contemporary issues, skewering them with Harmon’s signature humor and satiric wit.

Performances are March 21-May 12, 2019: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at
8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. Press opening is Monday, April 1 at 7 p.m. No show April 4.

Theater Wit is located at 1229 N. Belmont Ave., in the Belmont Theatre District in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Tickets start at $12 and go on sale February 4. For tickets and information, visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150.

Meet Bill and Sherri Mason, the headmaster and head of admissions respectively of Hillcrest, a second-tier New Hampshire boarding school. When this very liberal, very progressive couple arrived 15 years ago, the student population at Hillcrest was 94 percent white. Deeply committed to diversity, Sherri has boosted the number of students of color from six to 18 percent, a figure she still considers embarrassingly low.

However, Bill and Sherri’s dedication to diversity is put to the test when their son Charlie, an outstanding Hillcrest student who has dreamed of attending Yale since he was a child, learns his application has been deferred.

Complicating matters, Charlie’s classmate and best friend Perry, whose father is African-American, has been admitted to Yale even though his academic and extracurricular achievements are nowhere near Charlie’s.

Convinced that Yale based its decisions on race, Charlie claims to be a victim of reverse discrimination. And as their son lashes out, Sherri and Bill are forced to examine just how far their commitment to diversity goes. Are they true disciples? Or total hypocrites.

When Admissions premiered last year at Lincoln Center Theater, The New York Times called it “an extraordinarily useful and excruciating satire - of the left, by the left, for the left - for today.”

The Hollywood Reporter pegged Harmon’s newest play as “a smart, provocative drama with a rich vein of humor that pulls the rug out from under liberal white America.”

Indeed, Admissions is funny, sharp-witted, devastating and shockingly blunt, much like Harmon’s earlier plays Bad Jews, the most successful production in Theater Wit history, which ran an unprecedented eight months in 2015, and Significant Other, a Wit co-production with About Face Theater in 2017.

Admissions is also seductive - and, perhaps, controversial - as it splays open issues that have rarely been explored in the theater, at least not in Harmon’s comedic and biting manner.

"There's only one author who consistently makes me laugh helplessly and flinch in terror simultaneously. Joshua Harmon has done that to me twice now—first with Bad Jews and again when I read Admissions,” explains Jeremy Wechsler, Artistic Director at Theater Wit, who will also stage Wit’s production of Admissions. “Once again, Joshua’s immense compassion and wicked sense of humor is deployed to illuminate some of the key stresses of contemporary life: the intersection of diversity issues, white liberal guilt and privilege in education. His newest work is a keen satire, equally merciless and kind. As such, I hope Admissions sparks the same level of conversation that made our previous collaborations such deep, memorable experiences for our audience."

Theater Wit’s cast and production team for Admissions are to be announced.



About Theater Wit

Theater Wit, Chicago’s “smart art” theater, is a major hub of the Chicago neighborhood theater scene, where audiences enjoy a smorgasbord of excellent productions in three, 99-seat spaces, see a parade of talented artists and mingle with audiences from all over Chicago.

Currently on stage at Theater Wit is the company’s acclaimed co-production of Will Eno’s The Realistic Joneses with Shattered Globe Theatre, now through March 9. Try and keep up with the Joneses as they muddle through the small beauties, immense fears, and amazing moments of each day. Time is short but there are gift certificates to enjoy, tiny fireworks to light and another perfect summer evening to take for granted. “Very Funny! ★★★ Director Jeremy Wechsler’s production grounds the flightier aspects of the play in a Chicago-style reality,” wrote the Chicago Tribune. “★★★1/2 Sublime! Endless profundity (and marvelous wit),” said the Chicago Sun-Times.


To purchase tickets, a Theater Wit Membership or to inquire about Flex Pass options, visit TheaterWit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, 773.975.8150.


Biographies



Joshua Harmon’s plays include Bad Jews (Roundabout Theatre Company), Significant Other (Roundabout Theatre Company; Broadway/Booth Theatre), Admissions (Lincoln Center Theater); Ivanka (staged readings across the country on Election Eve, 2016) and Skintight (Roundabout Theatre Company). Bad Jews is one of the most produced plays in the United States of the last few years and has received international productions in Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, South Africa and London’s West End, following sold-out runs at Theatre Royal Bath and the St. James. Fellowships include the MacDowell Colony, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and NNPN. Harmon is an associate artist at Roundabout Theatre Company and under commission from Manhattan Theatre Club. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School. 




Theater Wit’s 2015 hit production of Harmon’s Bad Jews (which featured, from left)
Laura Lapidus, Ian Paul Custer and Erica Bittner. Credit: Charles Osgood



Jeremy Wechsler (director) most recent directing credits at Theater Wit include Will Eno’s The Realistic Joneses, Eric John Meyer’s The Antelope Party, Mitchell Fain’s This Way Outta Santaland, Anne Washburn’s 10 Out of 12, and Mat Smart’s Naperville. Other directing credits include the company’s election night reading of The Trump Card by Mike Daisey, The New Sincerity by Alena Smith, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence by Madeleine George, Bad Jews by Joshua Harmon, Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, Madeline George’s Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, and that show’s summer remount at Art Square Theatre in Las Vegas. Wechsler also staged Wit’s acclaimed Completeness and The Four of Us (Itamar Moses), Tigers Be Still (Kim Rosenstock), This (Melissa James Gibson), Spin (Penny Penniston), Feydeau-Si-Deau (Georges Feydeau), Men of Steel (Qui Nguyen), Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) (Will Eno), Two for the Show (James Fitzpatrick and Will Clinger) and The Santaland Diaries. A veteran director in Chicago with over 50 productions, his work has been nominated for and won multiple awards for design, performance, adaptation and best new plays.

OPENING: Court Theatre continues 64th Season with For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf March 14 – April 14, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Court Theatre continues 64th Season with
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf 
By Ntozake Shange
Directed by Seret Scott


March 14 – April 14, 2019

I'll be ChiILin' with Chi, IL's Court Theatre for the press opening Saturday, March 23rd, so check back soon for my full review.

Court Theatre, under the leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, continues its 2018/19 season with For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange and directed by Seret Scott. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf runs March 14 – April 14, 2019 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

A sisterhood of eight women tell their stories through dramatic prose poetry, music, and movement. Told in vivid language, their experiences resound with fearless beauty and unity, despite exposing the unending challenges and oppressions that women of color face every day.

Director Seret Scott (Native Son) returns to playwright Ntozake Shange’s cherished work after performing as a member of the original Broadway cast from 1976-1978. She will inspire new audiences with this series of stories that still resonate profoundly forty years later.

"When we selected Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf for our season, we knew it was cherished. We’ve come to understand this depth of feeling even more clearly as we’ve heard from our patrons over the past months. With this production, it seems we’re offering something that actually belongs to our community. We are so thrilled to be sharing Shange's powerful words in a city and at a moment when its messages of hope, resilience, and empowerment are needed more than ever,” notes Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director.

The cast of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf includes Melody Angel, Melanie Brezill, Leah Casey, Melissa DuPrey, Angelica Katie, Patrese D. McClain, Alexis J. Roston, and AnJi White.

The creative team of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf includes Samantha C. Jones (costume design), Paul Toben (lighting design), Andre Pluess (sound design), Melody Angel (additional music), Leah Casey (choreography), and Gabrielle Randle (production dramaturg).

About the Artists
SERET SCOTT (Director) directed Spunk, Native Son and Electra at Court Theatre. Directing credits: Old Globe Theatre (San Diego–Associate Artist), Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company, New Victory Theatre, and Second Stage Theatre (Off-Broadway), Philadelphia Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Studio Theatre (DC), American Conservatory Theatre (San Francisco), South Coast Repertory and L.A. Theatreworks (CA), Long Wharf Theatre and Yale Repertory Theatre (New Haven), Two River Theatre Company (NJ), Hartford Stage (CT), Indiana Repertory Theatre, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre and National Black Theatre (NYC), Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Alley Theatre (Houston), Actors Theatre of Louisville, Virginia Stage Company, New Mexico Repertory, and Playmakers Repertory Company (NC). She is a member of the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Society and a recipient of a TCG/PEW Residency Grant (Long Wharf Theatre) and Drama Desk Award in acting (My Sister, My Sister). Ms. Scott’s play Second Line was produced by Passage Theatre (NJ) and Tribute Productions (DC).

MELODY ANGEL (Lyric/Additional Music) was recently named one of 2018’s HOT New Faces of Chicago Theatre by Chris Jones at the Chicago Tribune. She made her theatre debut at Goodman Theatre in the highly rated production of Father Comes Home From the Wars by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks. Melody’s performance led her to star in the short film Knockout by Alley Cake Films, for the 48 Hour Film Project (Chicago). This short film went on to win best film, and will now be a part of the International Film Festival Filmapalooza 2019. Melody Angel is also a singer/songwriter/guitarist, who has performed all over the world with her “Blues-Rock-Soul.”

MELANIE BREZILL (Lady in Yellow) returns to Court Theatre. Previous Court Theatre credits include Man in the Ring and Caroline, or Change, for which she received a Jeff Nomination. Broadway and National Tour Credits: The Book of Mormon and Mamma Mia! Regional Credits: Nina Simone: Four Women (Northlight Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors, Aida (Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre); Crowns, A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Last Stop on Market Street, My Wonderful Birthday Suit, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Chicago Children’s Theatre); The MLK Project (Writers Theatre); Yeast Nation (American Theater Company); Living Green (Victory Gardens Theater); Once on this Island (Porchlight Music Theatre); and Seussical, Willy Wonka (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). TV Credits: Empire. Melanie is the creator and producer of The Grandmother Project, an original docu-series featured on YouTube and Vimeo.

LEAH CASEY (Lady in Purple/Choreographer) is a Chicago-based performer. She was most recently seen on Court Theatre’s stage in Manual Cinema’s Frankenstein as Mary Wollstonecraft, Percy Shelley, and Caroline Frankenstein. Some of her previous credits include Romeo and Juliet with Teatro Vista, and STORM with Walkabout/Moonfool. When not onstage, Leah can be found behind the mic narrating audiobooks, or working with the cast of Project STELLAR, a science fiction podcast.

MELISSA DUPREY (Lady in Blue) is an actor, stand-up comic, activist, playwright, and musician from Humboldt Park, Chicago. She has 3 critically acclaimed solo shows with two more in development. Her play Brujuja is an official selection of 16th Street’s 2019 Pop Up Reading Series. She was a new talent for the 2014 ABC Diversity Showcase in NYC. She is featured in the Emmy-nominated web series, “Brown Girls,” in development with HBO. She has multiple credits in TV and Film. She has been seen at The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Free Street Theater, and is honored to be making her Court Theatre debut. She is an Ensemble Member at Urban Theater Company, and the Director of Production and Community Relations at Free Street Theater.

ANGELICA KATIE (Lady in Green) After receiving her degree in Theatre Performance from Bradley University, Angelica has spent her acting career in LA, NYC, and at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, MA. She was most recently seen off-Broadway in the premiere of The Parlour at The Rattlestick Theatre in NYC. Angelica is making her Chicago debut in the city where she was born and raised.

PATRESE D. MCCLAIN (Lady in Brown) returns to Court Theatre where she previously appeared in: Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and Spunk. Additional theatre credits: The Mountaintop, Skeleton Crew (People’s Light and Theatre Co.), Skeleton Crew (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Hang (Remy Bumppo); Bright Half Life (About Face); SS! Romeo and Juliet(Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Cocked (Victory Gardens); Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight (Windy City Playhouse); White Guy on the Bus (Northlight). Regional Theatre: Two Trains Running (GEVA Theatre Center); Crumbs From The Table Of Joy (Mustard Seed), Romeo and Juliet, Pericles, For Colored Girls, No Child… (Black Rep). Recent Film/Television: NBC Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, USA Sirens, ABC Detroit 1-8-7, WIDOWS (directed by Steve McQueen), and CAPTIVE STATE (Directed by Rupert Wyatt). Recognitions include: Barrymore Winner for Outstanding Leading Actress (Mountaintop), Barrymore Nomination for Outstanding Leading Actor (Skeleton Crew), Jeff Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress (White Guy on the Bus and Spunk), and St. Louis Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress (No Child…). Training: MFA Pennsylvania State University, BFA Howard University.

ALEXIS J. ROSTON (Lady in Orange) has been deemed a seasoned triple threat. Her list of accomplishments in musical theatre aren’t simply on stage. She has directed as well as arranged vocals for several productions throughout the Chicagoland area. She most recently directed a well-received Aurin Squire piece, Defacing Michael Jackson (BTAA nomination for Best Direction of an Ensemble), for Flying Elephants Productions. Alexis is an award winner (Jeff Award, Black Excellence Award, Black Theatre Alliance Award) for her performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Porchlight Music Theatre). Other Chicago credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair (Paramount Theatre); Ain’t Misbehavin’, Crowns (Goodman Theatre); Porgy and Bess, Spunk, The Piano Lesson (Court Theatre); Shrek (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); What I Learned in Paris, Black Nativity, Seven Guitars (Congo Square Theatre Company); and Company, The Old Settler (Writers Theatre). Her TV credits include The Chi, Chicago PD, Chicago Code, and a national commercial for Land O’Frost lunch meat. Alexis is a proud ensemble member of Congo Square Theatre Company, as well as a member of Actor’s Equity and SAG-AFTRA. She is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.

ANJI WHITE (Lady in Red) Theatre credits include: TimeLine Theatre’s The Last Wife (US Premiere), the critically acclaimed Chicago premiere; Sunset Baby (Equity Jeff nomination-Best Actress, Black Excellence Awards nomination, Black Theatre Alliance Award-Best Actress); and Pulse Theatre’s Fabulations, or the Re-education of Undine Barnes (Black Theatre Alliance nomination-Best Ensemble). She originated the role of Regina “G” Whitnall in TimeLine Theatre’s To Catch A Fish, and was in American Theatre Company’s docudrama of The Project(s) (Black Theatre Alliance Award-Best Ensemble), and more. TV/Film credits: The Chi (Showtime), Empire (FOX), Chicago PD (NBC), and Home for the Weekend pilot (Comedy Central).

beyond the rainbow: Court Community Conversations
In conjunction with the play, Court will be hosting a series of community-focused events to engage new audiences with this classic from the African American canon.

beyond the rainbow: Court Community Conversations features a number of exciting opportunities for audiences to engage further with the central themes of the play. Planned events include a reading of Boogie Woogie Landscapes, another work by seminal playwright Ntozake Shange, as part of Court’s Spotlight Reading Series, on March 8 at 6:30pm at Experimental Station in Woodlawn. beyond the rainbow will also feature a number of post-performance conversations, panel discussions, and a night of poetry and storytelling open to the community.

Tickets, priced $50-$74 ($38-$52 for previews), are available at the Court Theatre box office (5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago), by calling (773) 753-4472, or online at www.CourtTheatre.org.


Dates:
Previews: March 14 – 22, 2019
Press Opening: Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 7:30pm
Regular Run: March 24 – April 14, 2019

Schedule:     
Wednesdays: 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m.
Fridays: 7:30 p.m.                         
Saturdays: 2:00 p.m. (except March 23) and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays: 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Tickets:
$38-$52 previews
$50-$74 regular run

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

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf’s lead sponsor is Poetry Foundation, with additional support from The Sidley Austin Foundation.



Court Theatre’s 2018/19 season is dedicated to Court’s late Executive Director, Stephen J. Albert.

Court Theatre is the professional theatre of the University of Chicago, dedicated to innovation, inquiry, intellectual engagement, and community service. Functioning as the University’s Center for Classic Theatre, Court and its artists mount theatrical productions and audience enrichment programs in collaboration with faculty. These collaborations enable a re-examination of classic texts that pose the enduring and provocative questions that define the human experience. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to classic American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. The theatre revives lost masterpieces; illuminates familiar texts; explores the African American theatrical canon; and discovers fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.

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