PRIDE PICKS: COMEDYSPORTZ CHICAGO PRESENTS LGBTQIA+ ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCES FOR CHICAGO PRIDE MONTH JUNE 7 – 22

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COMEDYSPORTZ CHICAGO PRESENTS

LGBTQIA+ ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCES

FOR CHICAGO PRIDE MONTH

JUNE 7 – 22 

ComedySportz Chicago (CSZ) will Host First Pride Month Program by Celebrating LGBTQIA+ members in Select Performances Every Week in Junet

(L to R): Mishell Livio, Simon Collier, Cynthia Kmak, Jason Geis, Kevin Daliva

by Edward Fox Photography 

ComedySportz Chicago (CSZ) will commence Pride Month with the company’s very first ComedySportz Chicago Pride Month featuring a series of performances,and a Pride Weekend celebration with CSZ’s LGBTQIA+ cast members from June 7 – 22 at ComedySportz Theater Chicago, 929 W. Belmont Ave.  A special one-night only 18+ Rainbow A-Go-Go Variety Show will take place Saturday, June 22 at 10 p.m. In addition to the regular performance schedule, the company will hold family-friendly performances. These all-ages performances will be Fridays  June 7, 14, and Saturday, June 22 at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 a person for 6  and 8 p.m. shows and $10 a person for the 10 p.m. performances and may be purchased at cszchicago.com or by calling 773-549-8080.
Members of the ComedySportz Chicago’s LGBTQIA+ ensemble including Simon Collier, Artistic Director Jason Geis and ensemble member and D&I Director Luis Cortes are organizing the event, as well as performing. All performances will contain an all LGBTQIA+ cast, made up of ComedySportz Chicago ensemble members and they will be performing in the classic ComedySportz format with new and unique LGBT takes on each match.

The theatre will also sell a signature cocktail, The Pride Tai, created by our Audience Services Director, Nicko Patterson (who is also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community)  with 100% of the profits going to the Pride month partner Howard Brown Health. Howard Brown Health exists to eliminate the disparities in healthcare experience by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through research, education and the provision of services that promote health and wellness.

ABOUT COMEDYSPORTZ CHICAGO

ComedySportz is the longest-running, game-based, short form improv comedy show in the comedy capital of the world, perfect for all ages, offering comedy for everyone! ComedySportz's interactive format is emceed by a referee overseeing a hilarious battle of wits between the home team, the blue Downtown Chicago Bosses, and the "visiting" red team, scored by live keyboard music and rocking popular music between scenes! Using audience suggestions and willing volunteers, our professional players create short games, scenes and songs on the spot, and the winner is determined by the Applause-o-Meter and your laughs.
ComedySportz Chicago (CSZ) will commence Pride Month with the company’s very first ComedySportz Chicago Pride Month featuring a series of performances,and a Pride Weekend celebration with CSZ’s LGBTQIA+ cast members from June 7 – 22 at ComedySportz Theater Chicago, 929 W. Belmont Ave.  A special one-night only 18+ Rainbow A-Go-Go Variety Show will take place Saturday, June 22 at 10 p.m. In addition to the regular performance schedule, the company will hold family-friendly performances. These all-ages performances will be Fridays June 7, 14, and Saturday, June 22 at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 a person for 6  and 8 p.m. shows and $10 a person for the 10 p.m. performances and may be purchased at cszchicago.com or by calling 773-549-8080.

PAY WHAT YOU CAN: WORLD PREMIERE OF STRANGE HEART BEATING VIA CLOUDGATE THEATRE AT THE FRONTIER JULY 9 – JULY 28, 2019

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CLOUDGATE THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

STRANGE HEART BEATING, 

JULY 9 – JULY 28 AT THE FRONTIER

A Dark Fantastical Look at the Rural Midwest and the Prejudices that Lie Beneath 

Written by Cloudgate Theatre Artistic Director and Kennedy Center’s 

Paula Vogel Playwriting Award Recipient Kristin Idaszak 

and Directed by Addie Gorlin

Cloudgate Theatre announces the world premiere of Strange Heart Beating, July 9 – July 27, at The Frontier, 1106 W. Thorndale. This mystery-inspired play is written by Cloudgate Artistic Director Kristin Idaszak and directed by Addie Gorlin. Previews are Tuesday, July 9, Thursday, July 11 and Friday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Press are invited to attend either of the following opening dates: Saturday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. or Sunday, July 14 at 5 p.m. Performance times are Mondays and, Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. 

(L to R) Jyreika Guest (Teeny), Leah Raidt (Lena), Brandon Rodriguez (Ramon) 

and Stephanie Shum (Lake)

Ticket are “Pay What You Want” in advance; ticket prices range from $5 - $45. Cloudgate also offers an open door policy the day of performances that provides free tickets at the door, based on availability. Tickets are available at CloudgateTheatre.com.

A world premiere, Strange Heart Beating is a darkly fantastical look at the rural Midwest, the murky nature of justice, and the prejudices that lie just beneath the surface. Teeny and Lena grew up together in a rural midwestern town, dreaming of leaving for the big city. But now Teeny is the town sheriff and Lena is a newly single mother. When the body of Lena’s daughter is found near the lake outside of town, their friendship is stretched to the breaking point.  But Teeny’s investigation raises more questions than it answers: Have girls been going missing for years? Why are the loons acting so strange? What is the town hiding? Strange Heart Beating is a play about holding vigil, bearing witness, and unburying the truth.

The cast for A Strange Heart Beating includes: Jyreika Guest (Teeny), Leah Raidt (Lena), Brandon Rodriguez (Ramon) and Stephanie Shum (Lake).

The production team includes: Kristin Idaszak, playwright; Addie Gorlin, director; Elena Gonzalez Molina, assistant director; Tara Branham*, casting director; Tanuja Jagernauth*, dramaturg; Lila Gilbert*, production manager; Angela McIlvain, scenic designer; Anna Wooden*, costume designer; Kaili Story, lighting designer; Averi Paulsen, sound designer; Jay Epps, stage manager; Dominic DiGiovanni*, technical director; and Shane Kelly (producer). * Indicates Cloudgate Artistic Associate


ABOUT KRISTIN IDASZAK, playwright

Kristin Idaszak is a playwright, dramaturg, and Cloudgate’s artistic director. A two-time Playwrights’ Center Jerome Fellow, Idaszak has received the Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award. Her play, Another Jungle, (Relentless Award Honorable Mention) received its world premiere with Cloudgate Theatre and The Syndicate in April 2018. She was the Shank Playwright in Residence at the Goodman Theatre and a member of the 2017-2018 Goodman Playwrights Unit. She has received commissions from EST/The Sloan Foundation, Cleveland Play House, and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Her work has been produced or developed by the Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Ensemble Studio Theatre, SPACE at Ryder Farm, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Renaissance Theaterworks, The Drama League, and WildClaw, among others. Idaszak is also a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and adjunct faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University. Previously, Idaszak served as associate artistic director/literary manager of Caffeine Theatre and associate artistic director of Collaboraction. 

ABOUT ADDIE GORLIN, director

Addie Gorlin hails from Minneapolis and is a director, educator and aspiring artistic director invested in the regional theater movement. Her most recent directing credits include Next to Normal (Brown University undergrad mainstage), Good Person of Szechwan, Eurydice, Twelfth Night, and Streetcar Named Desire (Brown/Trinity), Charm and According to Coyote (Mixed Blood Theatre), Laramie Project (Children’s Theater), I and You (Phoenix Theater), and Five Tries (Cutting Ball Theatre). Gorlin has developed new work at The Playwrights Center, The Lark, Mixed Blood, Riverside Theater, Ivoryton Playhouse, Brown University, and has served as assistant director at The Guthrie, The Public, and Trinity Rep among various others. Fellowships include Artistic Management and Directing at the Cutting Ball Theater and the National New Play Network (NNPN) Producer-in-Residence grant through which she apprenticed in artistic direction at Mixed Blood Theatre. While not in school and freelance directing, Gorlin stays actively engaged in civic theater practice, is a member of the NNPN's Affiliated Artist Council and strategic planning committee and continues to teach: she holds a credential as a 6-12th grade English and Drama teacher which she obtained via Teach for America. B.A. Dartmouth College. M.F.A. candidate Brown/Trinity 2019.

ABOUT CLOUDGATE THEATRE
Cloudgate Theatre produces fiercely theatrical new plays from a queer feminist lens. Prioritizing sustainability and harm reduction, Cloudgate focuses on human-centered artistic practices. It believes that caring for and listening to the artists they work with engenders vibrant, dynamic experiences for its audiences. With each production, the company starts by asking how best to serve the needs of its collaborators and to take its audience on a uniquely theatrical journey.

Cloudgate Theatre creates theatre and performance that challenge the norms of American theatre through intersectional queer feminist narratives. It believes that the theatre is the place to imagine a more liveable world, and work to make it real. The company seeks to create theatrical experiences that foster community, question authority, and offer meaning.

OPENING: THE FLOWER OF HAWAII FEATURING FORMER MS. ILLINOIS MARISA BUCHEIT JUNE 29 – JULY 14, 2019

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FORMER MS. ILLINOIS, MARISA BUCHEIT, STARS IN THE FOLKS OPERETTA PRODUCTION OF PAUL ABRAHÁM’S EXOTIC JAZZ OPERETTA THE FLOWER OF HAWAII 

Marisa Bucheit as Princess Laya/Suzanna courtesy of Folks Operetta. 

JUNE 29 – JULY 14 AT STAGE 773 

The Production is a Return to the Golden Era of 

Hollywood Musicals with Ábrahám’s Captivating Score

Folks Operetta continues its Reclaimed Voices Series with Paul Ábrahám’s exotic jazz operetta, The Flower of Hawaii featuring soprano and former Ms. Illinois Marisa Bucheit (2014) as Princess Laya/Suzanne. The Folks Operetta invites audiences to escape to paradise for this unique celebration of European operetta, American jazz and Hawaiian guitar at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave. from June 29 – July 14. 

Opening night is Saturday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Conducted by Anthony Barrese and directed by Amy Hutchison, The Flower of Hawaii will remind audiences of the Golden Era of Hollywood musicals. Tickets range from $30 - $40. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit FolksOperetta.org.

Inspired by the story of Princess Ka’julani, The Flower of Hawaii spoofs American colonialism, but never takes on that subject too deeply; this is meant to be escapist entertainment with music celebrating the fox trot, waltzes and marches. The libretto features multiple love stories including Laya, a Hawaiian princess, who must choose between the American naval officer she loves and the Hawaiian prince to who she was betrothed as a child. Meanwhile, no less than three other couples must find their way through various romantic complications before all of them arrive at “Happily Ever After.”

Hungarian composer Paul Abrahám (1992 – 1960) combined operetta with jazz,and the result was a string of hugely popular shows: Vicktoria and her Hussar (1930), Flower of Hawaii (1931) and Ball at the Savoy (1932.) Abrahám’s unique blend of European waltzes and American jazz idioms changed the course of operetta. His rise to fame and fortune was swift. Between 1929 and 1932, in addition to three of the most successful operettas of the time, he composed numerous film scores and popular songs. Abrahám’s music was heavily influenced by touring African-American jazz bands that had taken 1920s Berlin and the rest of Europe by storm. As a Jewish composer with a passion for jazz, he embodied everything the Nazis hated. When they came to power in Germany in 1933, he had to flee the country overnight. For the next five years, he continued to work in Vienna and Budapest, composting three more operettas. In 1938, with the German annexation of Austria, the rise of fascism in Hungary, and threat of war, he was compelled to leave for America. Like many other exiles, he had trouble finding meaningful work in the United States. To make matters worse, he also faced serious mental health problems. Abrahám would spend 10 years in the Creedmor Mental Hospital in Queens, New York. After the war, he and his wife returned to Germany, where he lived until his death in 1960.

The cast of The Flower of Hawaii includes: Rodell Rosell (Prince Lilo-Taro); Marisa Buchheit (Princess Laya/Suzanne); Nick Pulikowski (Captiain Stone); Teaira Burge (Bessie); William Roberts (Buffy); Trent Oldham (Jimmy Fox); Angela Yu (Raka); Robert Morrissey (Governor); Benjamin Burney (Kaluna/Bobby Flipps); Benjamin Kawsky (Sunny Hill); Jordan Beyeler (dancer); Ivory Leonard (dancer); Ysaye McKeever (dancer); Athena Kopulos (feature dancer/ensemble); Sarah Ruth Mikulski (Bessie understudy/ensemble); Clara Imon Pedtke (ensemble); Elena Avila (ensemble); Adrianne Blanks (ensemble); Cydney Washington (ensemble); Camryn MacLean (apprentice/ensemble); Anwar Mohammed (apprentice/ensemble) and Julian Lee-Zachies (apprentice/ensemble).

The crew of The Flower of Hawaii includes: Anthony Barrese, conductor; Amy Hutchison, stage director/editor; August Tye, principal choreographer; Ressie Davis, choreographer; Eleanor Kahn, set designer; Patti Roeder, costume designer; Eric Watkins, lighting designer; Peter Schwob, technical director, Kayla Kroot, props; Joseph Frantzen, assistant manager/editor; Antoliy Tochinskiy, rehearsal pianist and Hersh Glagov, translator/lyricist/editor.

ABOUT GERALD FRANTZEN, Producer/Lyricist/Editor

Gerald Frantzen is the artistic director of Folks Operetta. He has sung with the Lyric Opera of Chicago chorus for nine years, where he made his solo debut in the opera Eugene Onegin (2008). His opera roles include Giove (Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria- NPR broadcast), both Acis and Damon (Acis and Galatea), 2nd Nazarene (Salome) with the Glimmerglass Opera; Ernesto (Don Pasquale) with Natchez Opera; Prunier (La Rondine) with Sarasota Opera; Der Kellner (Arabella) with Santa Fe Opera and Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) with Ridge Light Opera.

Frantzen has been a frequent soloist with Handel Week where he has performed two Messiahs and played a leading role in the Chicago premiere of G. F. Handel’s Rodelinda and recently played Acis in Acis and Galatea. He was also the tenor soloist in Bach’s Magnificat and The Mozart Requiem.

Since 2006 he has translated over 18 different operettas with Folks Operetta dramaturge Hersh Glagov; presenting 15 American premieres. His operetta credits Arizona Lady (2010 U.S. Premiere); The Circus Princess (U.S. premiere); Ball at the Savoy (2014 American premiere); The Girl in the Train (American premiere); Springtime (American premiere); (Peter and Paul in the Land of Nod- American premiere); Thespis  (World premiere); Gypsy Love, Yeomen of the Guard; Duchess of Chicago; Pirates of Penzance; The Student Prince; The Merry Widow, The Gondoliers;  Song of Norway; as well as Madame Pompadour. In 2013 Frantzen wrote the critically-acclaimed concert “Operetta in Exile” with Glagov.   

His international musical theater credits include Jekyll & Hyde in Bremen, Germany; the role of Piangi (The Phantom of the Opera – Hal Prince, director) in Hamburg, Germany and The Russian (Chess) in Bergen, Norway. Regional credits include Dorsey and the Young Confederate Soldier (Parade-which won 8 Jeff Citations), Sir Harry (Once Upon a Mattress), Tony (West Side Story), Baron (Grand Hotel) and Charlie (Brigadoon). He can also be heard with “The Three Waiters,” which has won the award for Best Corporate Event over six times.

Film credits include “Return of the Night Porter” as an editor, which won the Grand Prix at the Karlovy Film Festival in Europe. Recordings include John Frantzen Compositions and a musical theater collection called Another Autumn (recorded with Alison Kelly; The Rose of Stambul by Leo Fall on the Naxos Recording Label. Frantzen has also sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and The Grant Park chorus.

ABOUT ANTHONY BARRESE, Conductor/Folks Operetta Music Director 

Anthony Barrese is the recipient of the 2007 Georg Solti Foundation U.S. award for young conductors. His original works have won numerous awards, and he is regularly engaged by opera companies in North America and Italy. He has led several productions with Sarasota Opera (Lakmé, Le nozze di Figaro, Hansel and Gretel), and with Opera Southwest (Le nozze di Figaro, Die Fledermaus, La cenerentola) where he is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. Barrese was the Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Opera in 2006-2007 and returned there as Guest Conductor for a production of Tosca in 2008, and in 2015 for La Wally. In 2008 Barrese conducted a new production of Turandot in Ascoli Piceno’s historic Teatro Ventidio Basso, with a cast that included Nicola Martinucci as Calaf. He also made his French debut conducting Turandot at the Opéra de Massy. In recent seasons Barrese made debuts with Florida Grand Opera (Les pêcheurs de perles) Opera Theatre of St. Louis (The Kiss), Opera North (L’elisir d’amore), and Boston Lyric Opera (Don Giovanni)

Barrese is the recipient of numerous composition awards including a N.E.C. Contemporary Ensemble Composition Competition Award for his Madrigale a 3 voci femminili, and two B.M.I. Student Composers Awards. As a musicologist, he  rediscovered, prepared, and edited the critical edition of Franco Faccio’s opera Amleto, in conjunction with Casa Ricordi.

He made his operatic conducting debut in Milan with La Bohème and recorded Roberto Andreoni’s quattro luci sul lago with ”I Solisti della Scala” (a chamber group made up of the first chair musicians of the La Scala Philharmonic) for broadcast on Italian National Radio (RAI 3). As Artistic Director of Opera Southwest he has performed Rossini’s Otello with the American staged premiere of the finale lieto, and in 2014 he led the new World Premiere of Amleto, not heard anywhere since 1871. In the 2015-16 season Barrese led a “Return of Rossini” festival at OSW, as well as a production of Norma at Florida Grand Opera. As Music Director of Opera Delaware he conducted the west coast premiere of Amleto in 2016, and the company premiere of Rossini’s Semiramide in 2017. Upcoming engagements include The Merry Widow with Opera Saratoga (2018), and Lohengrin with Opera Southwest.

ABOUT AMY HUTCHISON, Director

Amy Hutchison has championed American opera throughout her career. She has served on the directing staffs of Lyric Opera of Chicago and Houston Grand Opera and on the faculties of The Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and Westminster Choir College in Princeton. Her fascinating, brilliantly mounted double bill; production of Donizetti’s Il Pigmalione and Rita for Chicago Opera Theater wowed audiences and critics alike.  As part of COT’s Vanguard Initiative, she was honored to stage Grand Illusion by Composer-in-Residence Stacy Garrop and Jerre Dye. 

She also helmed critically-acclaimed Chicago premiere productions of As One by Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed and Missy Mazzoli’s Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt for Chicago Fringe Opera. Hutchison frequently collaborates with South Shore Opera Company, where her work includes Joelle Lamarre’s The Violet Hour, Steven M. Allen’s The Poet, Jonathan Stinson’s The March: A Civil Rights Opera Project, Samuel Coleridge- Taylor’s Dream Lovers and African Romances, and William Grant Still’s epic masterwork Troubled Island, named the number one classical music event of 2013 by the Chicago Sun-Times. Other Chicago area productions include Madame Pompadour for Folks Operetta, Music by the Lake’s Brigadoon, DuPage Opera’s Faust, and Our Town and Transformations for DePaul Opera Theatre. Her collaboration with Ricky Ian Gordon and Stacey Tappan, Once I Was: Songs by Ricky Ian Gordon, was staged at the Chicago Cultural Center and recorded on the Blue Griffin label.

Beyond Chicago, Hutchison’s work includes productions of As One in San Antonio; Il Matrimonio Segreto in Boston; Carmen in Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Columbus; Turandot in Orlando; Don Pasquale for Indianapolis Opera; La Traviata in Costa Mesa and Menotti’;s Help! Help! The Globolinks! for Madison Opera. She served as revival director for William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge (Teatro dell;Opera di Roma, Washington National Opera and Portland Opera); the Maurice Sendak production of Hänsel und Gretel (Opernhaus Zürich, Canada, San Diego, Indianapolis and televised for PBS: Live from the Lincoln Center); and the international tour of Houston Grand Opera’s Porgy and Bess (Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, L’Opéra National de Paris, Teatro La Fenice, and more). She serves on the board of philanthropic organization She100, performs advisory roles with Folks Operetta and South Chicago Dance Theatre and formerly served on the board of About Face Theatre.

ABOUT FOLKS OPERETTA

Folks Operetta is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company devoted to the nurturing of live operetta through articulate and dynamic productions.  In the belief that the arts serve to illuminate the human condition, Folks Operetta is dedicated to the revival and development of operetta, a popular and accessible form of music and theater for general audiences.  In particular, the Folks Operetta concentrates on producing both Viennese and American operettas from the early 20th century.

Folks Operetta begins its 2019-2020 season of the Reclaimed Voices Series with Paul Ábrahám’s exotic jazz operetta, The Flower of Hawaii. Folks Operetta invites audiences to escape to paradise for this unique celebration of American jazz and Hawaiian guitar at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave. from June 29 – July 14. Opening night is Saturday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue on a regular weekly schedule: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Featuring the conducting of Anthony Barrese and the directing of Amy Hutchison, The Flower of Hawaii will remind audiences of the Golden Era of Hollywood musicals. Tickets range from $30 - $40. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit FolksOperetta.org. 

The Pauls Foundation, The Sage Foundation and the The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation

Shows On Our Radar: Ionesco's The Killer at THE TRAP DOOR THEATRE

 JEFF RECOMMENDED ‘THE KILLER’ NOW EXTENDED THROUGH SATURDAY JULY 13TH AT 
THE TRAP DOOR THEATRE

The Killer

Written by: ​Eugene Ionesco Translated by: ​Donald Watson Directed by: ​Mike Steele

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Jacob Davis, Around the Town Chicago

RECOMMENDED - “The Killer is… emblematic of what Trap Door continues to do so well” - Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune


RECOMMENDED "Bisto is amazing in the lead role..." Karen Topham, Chicagoonstage.com 

*Now Extended Through July 13th 

Due To Popular Demand*

Featuring​: Dennis Bisto, Michael Mejia, Kevin Webb, Holly Cerney, Abby Blankenship, Keith Surney, Logan Hulick, Laura Nelson.

Eugene Ionesco (Playwright) ​was born in 1909 (or in 1912, according to some sources) in Slatina, Romania. His father was Romanian and his mother French-Romanian and he spent his early years both in his native land and in France. During WW2 he moved to France and lived there until his death in 1994. During his long career he published essays, books for children, and a novel, but he is best known as a playwright and one of the major forces, alongside Beckett, Genet and Adamov, behind the Theatre of the Absurd in France. His first play, ​The Bold Soprano (​ 1950) inaugurated a series of short, antilogical anti-plays (​The Lesson ​[1951], ​The Chairs [1952], ​The New Tenant ​[1995]) in which many of his themes, such as the clichés of thought and language, the irrationality of materialist values and the loneliness and isolation of the individual, first appeared. Later, full-length plays, such as ​The Killer ​(1959), Rhinoceros (​ 1960), ​Exit the King ​(1960) and ​Macbett ​(1972) offered somewhat more positive protagonists who hold out against the conformity but lack any rational explanation for their actions. His characters tend to be unthinking automatons unaware of their own mechanical behavior. All of Ionesco’s plays deal with a human situation from which the element of rationality (and of rational language) is absent; more specifically, all Ionesco’s drama is a satire upon a middle class, its speech, its manners, and its morals. Ionesco is a master of partial communication—A speaks, B listens, B then replies as if A has not relayed any information whatsoever. In 1970 Ionesco was elected to the Académie Française.

Mike Steele (Director)​ currently serves as Literary Manager for Trap Door theatre, where he also curates the “Trap Open” Incubator Series. Additionally, he is the former Founding Artistic Director of The Island Theatre (R.I.P.). Directing credits include ​Sad Happy Sucker​ by Lee Kirk (Trap Door Theatre), ​The Fever​ by Wallace Shawn, ​The Glass Inward​, and ​Tourist Trap​ (The Island). Over the past two years Mike has been devising and directing a series of original dance-theatre pieces titled ​The Capillaries​, which have been presented at Links Hall where he was a 2017 “Summer Intensive” resident artist. A frequent performer, Mike has appeared in over 25 professional productions including ​Occidental Express​ (Trap Door Theatre and International Tour), ​The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Trap Door Theatre-Jeff Nomination for Best Ensemble), ​Much Ado About Nothing (​ Alchemical Theatre), ​20,000 Leagues Under the Sea​ (Strawdog Theatre),​ Sight Unseen (​ Adventure Stage), ​No Beast So Fierce​ (Oracle Theatre),​ Skriker​ (Red Tape Theatre), and many more. Mike holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Studies from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. Mike will be attending UT Austin starting this fall as an MFA Directing candidate

Set Designer​ Nicholas Schwartz/ ​Costume Designer​ Rachel Sypniewski/ ​Makeup Design​ Zsofia Otvos / ​Sound Designers​ Matt Test and Sam Clapp/​ Lighting Designer​ Richard Norwood / ​Choreographer ​Jesse Hoisington/​ Graphic Designer​ Michal Janicki/ Dramaturg​ David Lovejoy / ​Assistant Director ​Skye Fort

Opens: Closes​: Runs​:
Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 8PM
Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 8PM
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8PM, (Wednesday, July 3rd)

Admission​: $20 on Thursdays and Fridays, $25 on Saturdays, 2 for 1 Admission on Thursdays 

Where:​ TRAP DOOR THEATRE 1655 West Cortland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622

What:​ ​A conscientious citizen finds himself in a radiantly beautiful city. There is only one problem in Utopia - it is marred by the presence of an unknown and relentless killer. This dark absurdist comedy is a study of pure evil and an indifferent society that allows it to flourish.

THEATRE AT THE CENTER'S DAMES AT SEA Now Playing Munster Indiana Through June 2, 2019

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THEATRE AT THE CENTER'S DAMES AT SEA

Actors Sierra Schnack, Colette Todd and Kelly Felthous. Photo by Guy Rhodes.

Director and Artistic Director Linda Fortunato has cast Kelly Felthous as Ruby, Todd Aulwurm as Dick, Colette Todd as Mona Kent, Sierra Schnack as Joan, Sam Shankman as Lucky, and Steven Strafford as Hennesey and The Captain in Dames at Sea, the Spring musical production at Theatre at the Center in Munster.

Dames at Sea, the long-running Off-Broadway hit that brought stardom to Bernadette Peters in 1969, opened on Broadway in 2015 to another round of rave reviews. This fun, campy show, based on the nostalgia of Hollywood musicals of the 1930s, is in the spotlight on Theatre at the Center’s main stage for the first time in the theater’s three-decade history.

“Dames at Sea is a delightful musical escape into a bygone era,” Fortunato said. “It’s entertainment for the whole family.”

Dames at Sea, with a book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller and music by Jim Wise, begins with Ruby, getting off the bus from Utah, after arriving in New York City with a dream to make it big on Broadway. The hopeful lass is hired to dance in the chorus off a new Broadway show and meets Dick, a sailor, who also has ambitions as a songwriter. On Opening Night, when they learn that their theater is being demolished, Ruby and the cast, with the help of Dick and some adoring sailors, make plans to perform the show on a naval battleship.

Kelly Felthous (Ruby) makes her TATC debut after a run of Seussical at Marriott Theatre. Other credits include roles as Roxie Hart in Chicago and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at Drury Lane. She also played Sally Bowles in Paramount Theater’s Cabaret and Glinda in the National Tour of Wicked.

Todd Aulwurm (Dick), who is making his TATC debut, is a native of Northwest Indiana and a graduate of Crown Point High School and Indiana University. His recent credits include roles in TRU and The Butcher’s Son at the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. He appeared in Mama Mia, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Smokey Joe’s Café, and Beauty and the Beast at Little Theatre on the Square. At the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater he performed in The Little Mermaid, Rock of Ages, Titanic, All Shook Up, The Addams Family and 42nd Street.

Colette Todd (Mona Kent) is returning to TATC where she previously performed as Gwen in The Odd Couple, The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot and Sandra in Big Fish. Other roles at TATC include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and The Beverly Hillbillies. At Light Opera Works she appeared as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Nancy in Oliver!

Sierra Schnack (Joan) will also make her TATC debut. Recent roles include Ali in Mama Mia and Anytime Annie in 42nd Street at Drury Lane Oakbrook. She also played Kate in Shrew’d at First Folio Theatre and was part of the Ensemble in Legally Blonde at Paramount Theatre.

Sam Shankman (Lucky) returns to TATC after recently playing Sawyer in last year’s Miracle on 34th Street The Musical. Recent Chicago credits include South Pacific at Drury Lane, Spring Awakening at Blank Theatre, Curious George at Northbrook Theatre, Madagascar at Chicago Shakespeare and Shrew’d at First Folio.

Steven Strafford (Hennesey and Captain) is making his TATC debut. He has been seen as the demented dentist in Little Shop of Horrors at Drury Lane Theatre and Hortensio in Shrew’d at First Folio. He has also been seen as Chick Clark in Wonderful Town at The Goodman Theatre and as Jesus and Stephen Hawking in End Days. He has toured nationally and internationally as Prince Herbert in Spamalot.

Director Linda Fortunato is in her fourth season as TATC Artistic Director. Her recent credits include directing and choreographing various productions, including Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical, Ghost: The Musical, Steel Magnolias, Big River, The Tin Woman, Cabaret, Annie Warbucks and A Christmas Story as well as choreographing Spamalot, Big Fish, A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Guys and Dolls, Crazy for You and Fiddler on the Roof. She has been nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Awards for her work as a choreographer and director and received both the Equity and Non-Equity Jeff Award for Outstanding Choreography in the 2013-2014 season, garnering Theatre at the Center’s first award for her choreography of 42nd Street.

The creative team for Dames at Sea includes Scenic Designer Jessie Howe, Lighting Designer Guy Rhodes, Sound Designer Barry Funderburg, Costume Designer Brenda Winstead, Wig Designer Kevin Barthel and Properties Designer Emily Hartig. Stage Manager is Jessica Banaszak. William Underwood is Music Director. Linda Fortunato is teamed with TATC General Manager Richard Friedman and Ann Davis, TATC Head of Production.

left to right – Colette Todd (Mona Kent), Kelly Felthouse (Ruby) and Sierra Schnack (Joan).

Founded in 1991, the 410-seat TATC is a year round professional theater at its home: The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, Indiana. TATC is an accessible venue with plenty of free parking and is located off I-80/94, just 35 minutes from downtown Chicago.

Performances are 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Individual ticket prices range from $42 - $46. To purchase individual tickets, call the Box Office at 219-836-3255 or Tickets.com at 800-511-1532. Group discounts are available for groups of 11 or more. Student tickets are $20 and gift certificates are also available. For more information on Theatre at the Center, visit www.TheatreAtTheCenter.com.

WIN a Pair of Preview Tickets ($40 Value) to Lifeline Theatre's Emma (2 Winners) Choice of Dates

Giveaway! Enter below through midnight 5/23/19
2 Lucky Readers Will 
WIN a Pair of Tickets ($40 Value) to your choice of preview dates 

(Previews are Fridays, May 24 and 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, May 25 and June 1 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 26 at 4 p.m.)

Lifeline Theatre Presents 

Emma,

Opens June 4

Performances with Open Captioning on June 15 and July 12

Performance with Touch Tour and Audio Description on June 16

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Lifeline Theatre presents Emma, adapted by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Phil Timberlake and directed by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Elise Kauzlaric. Making his Lifeline playwriting debut, Timberlake joins Kauzlaric, director of 2012’s Pride and Prejudice and 2016’s Northanger Abbey (Non-Equity Jeff nomination: Best Production–Musical), for a fresh, intimate look at this beloved Austen romp. 

After a successful experiment in matchmaking, Emma Woodhouse is convinced she can do no wrong. So the high-spirited socialite inserts herself in the love lives of everyone around her, meddling despite their wishes, and leaves a tangle of heartbreak in her wake. To restore happiness to her fractured world, Emma must swallow her pride and learn to value the needs of others over her own desires. Navigate the blunders of the heart in this world premiere adaptation of the 1815 romantic comedy by Jane Austen. The production runs approximately 2 hours with an intermission. The novel will be on sale in the lobby.

Emma Sipora Tyler as Emma.  Photo by Suzanne Plunkett.

I'll be out for the press opening June 2nd and can't wait to catch Emma Sipora Tyler as Emma Woodhouse! She's a favorite of ours. 


Emma runs May 24 – July 14 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see below). Opening night is Tuesday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, May 24 and 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, May 25 and June 1 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 26 at 4 p.m.)


Regular performance times (June 6 – July 14) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.


Accessible Performances: The Saturday, June 15, 4 p.m. performance and the Friday, July 12, 7:30 p.m. performances will feature open captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The Sunday, June 16, 4 p.m. performance will feature a pre-show touch tour of the set at 2:30 p.m. and live audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision. For more information about Lifeline’s accessibility services, please contact our Accessibility Coordinator Erica Foster at 773.761.4477 x703 or at access@lifelinetheatre.com.


The complete cast and production team for Emma includes:


CAST: Guest artists Peter Gertas (Frank/Elton), Jeri Marshall (Jane), Maddie Pell (Harriet), Emma Sipora Tyler (Emma), and Cory Williamson (Knightley). With understudies Aissa Guerra, Royan Kent, Jamie Sandomire, Sana Selemon, and Zach Twardowski.


PRODUCTION TEAM: Lifeline Theatre ensemble members Aly Renee Amidei (Costume Designer), Diane Fairchild (Lighting Designer), Elise Kauzlaric (Director/Dialect Coach), Maren Robinson (Dramaturg), and Phil Timberlake (Adaptor); with guest artists Andrew Hansen (Sound Designer), Persephone Lawrence (Properties Designer), Sarah Lewis (Scenic Designer), Jennifer McClendon (Production Manager), Kate Reed (Stage Manager), Joe Schermoly (Technical Director), and Jonah White (Master Electrician)


Lifeline Theatre presents Emma runs May 24 – July 14 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see below). Press opening is Sunday, June 2 at 4 p.m. Opening night is Tuesday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m. (Previews are Fridays, May 24 and 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, May 25 and June 1 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 26 at 4 p.m.) Regular performance times (June 6 – July 14) are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for active and retired military personnel (with ID), $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with ID), $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability), and $20 for previews. Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.


Lifeline Theatre is accessible by CTA (Red Line Morse stop/busses) and free parking is available at Sullivan High School (6631 N Bosworth Ave — the lot is located on the corner of Bosworth Ave and Albion Ave, with the entrance on Albion) with free shuttle service before and after the show.  Street parking is also available. Lifeline is accessible to wheelchair users and visitors who need to avoid stairs.






Now in its 36th season, Lifeline Theatre is driven by a passion for story. Our ensemble process supports writers in the development of literary adaptations and new work, and our theatrical and educational programs foster a lifelong engagement with literature and the arts. A cultural anchor of Rogers Park, we are committed to deepening our connection to an ever-growing family of artists and audiences, both near and far. Lifeline Theatre – Big Stories, Up Close.




Lifeline Theatre’s programs are partially supported by Alphawood Foundation; A.R.T. League Inc.; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; Chicago CityArts, a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; CIG Management; CNA Foundation; Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; FGMK LLC; FlexPrint Inc.; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; The Michael and Mona Heath Fund at The Chicago Community Trust Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; Illinois Humanities Council; MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The National Endowment for the Arts; The PAV Grant Fund; The Polk Bros. Foundation; Rogers Park Social; The Saints; S&C Electric Company Fund; The Shubert Foundation; The Steele Foundation; The Manufacturing; and the annual support of businesses and individuals.

Giveaway! Enter HERE through midnight 5/23/19

2 Lucky Readers Will 

WIN a Pair of Tickets ($40 Value) to your choice of preview dates 

(Previews are Fridays, May 24 and 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, May 25 and June 1 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, May 26 at 4 p.m.)

**ENTER HERE**

SAVE THE DATES: TEATRO VISTA 2019-20 SEASON

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Midwest debut of Evelina Fernández’s ‘60s comedic drama with music Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy is part of DESTINOS – Chicago International Latino Theater Festival

Romance meets physical theater in Marvin Quijada’s world premiere The Dream King, directed by Sandra Márquez

Make way for an all-female mariachi band in American Mariachi by José Cruz González, directed by Teatro Vista co-founder Henry Godinez, in association with Goodman Theatre

The Midwest premiere of Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy by Evelina Fernández brings a grand exploration of Mexican American life in the ’60s to the start of Chicago’s fall theater season. Hope follows the voyage of the Morales family through that turbulent, transformational time, marked by a new young president, the dawn of the sexual revolution and the rock ‘n’ roll explosion. Teatro Vista Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez directs. Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy is also the company’s entry in DESTINOS – 3rd Chicago International Latino Theater Festival. Performances are September 21 – October 27, 2019 at a location TBA.

Next spring Teatro Vista breathes life into The Dream King, a world premiere by ensemble member Marvin Quijada, directed by fellow ensemble member Sandra Márquez. The Dream King is a genre-bending classic love story with a twist: a man falls in love with the woman of his dreams, while in his dreams. Imaginative, inventive, sweet and sometimes scary, The Dream King is a stunning piece of physical theater, told with a lush musical score and mostly without words. Performances are April 4 – May 10, 2020 at The Richard Christiansen Theatre in The Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

Women mariachis? It’s about time! Teatro Vista’s third 2019-20 production is American Mariachi, a heartwarming and hilarious new comedy about the freedom to dream big by José Cruz González, presented in association with Goodman Theatre. Familia, amor and tradición are at the heart of this hilarious and heartwarming new comedy about an all-female mariachi band. Goodman Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez, who co-founded Teatro Vista 30 years ago, directs. Performances are April 25-May 31, 2020 in Goodman’s Albert Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago.

Teatrovista.org is your online gateway to tickets and information about the company’s 2019-20 season.

Single tickets to Teatro Vista’s fall production Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy go on sale this summer via clata.org, the DESTINOS – 3rd Chicago International Latino Theater Festival’s website.

Tickets to The Dream King go on sale Monday, February 24, 2020 online at victorygardens.org and via the Victory Gardens box office,
(773) 871-3000. Single tickets to Teatro Vista productions are $20-$35, with discounts for students, seniors and groups of 10 or more.

Memberships to Goodman Theatre’s 2019-20 season including American Mariachi are on sale now at goodmantheatre.org, in person, or by calling (312) 443-3800 (12noon – 5 p.m., daily). Single tickets to American Mariachi, $20-$70, go on sale on February 14, 2020. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are available now. 

                                                               
More about Teatro Vista’s 2019-20 season

Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy
A Midwest Premiere
By Evelina Fernández
Directed by Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez
September 21 – October 27, 2019
At a location TBA
Part of DESTINOS – 3rd Chicago International Latino Theater Festival



The Midwest premiere of Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy by Evelina Fernández is a grand exploration of Mexican American life in the ’60s. Hope follows the voyage of the Morales family through that turbulent, transformational time, marked by a new young president, the dawn of the sexual revolution and the rock ‘n’ roll explosion. Filled with nostalgic ballads, fantasy sequences and healthy doses of humor, Hope pops with keen visuals and poignant storytelling as it offers a glimpse of the Mexican diaspora in ’60s America.

Teatro Vista’s Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy is presented as part of DESTINOS – 3rd Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, September 19 – October 27, 2019. DESTINOS, produced by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA), is dedicated to showcasing the Latino experience as told by Latino artists from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America. Discover more at CLATA.org.

Evelina Fernández (playwright), born and raised in East LA, is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and actor and she writes about the U.S. Latinx experience. She received the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Writing of a World Premiere Play for A Mexican Trilogy published by Samuel French. The first work in the trilogy, Hope: Part II of a Mexican Trilogy, premiered in October 2011 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center to critical acclaim, earning Fernández a Best Playwright Ovation Award nomination. Charity: Part III of A Mexican Trilogy premiered next in May 2012 (Backstage’s Critic’s Pick) and Faith: Part I of a Mexican Trilogy followed that October, also to critical acclaim. In fall 2016, the plays were combined for a six-hour epic production, A Mexican Trilogy: An American Story at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Her plays have made the Los Angeles Times Critic's Choice list; Solitude (2009), Dementia (2010) and her holiday pageant play, La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin, have been featured in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. In 2003, Dementia won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Theater Production in L.A. and received four L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award nominations, including Best World Premiere. Her most recent play, Premeditation was nominated for three Ovation Awards including Best Theater Production in 2014. In March 2015, her adaptation of Plautus’s Pot of Gold, LA Olla was staged at the Getty Villa Lab and had a full production at her home base, the LATC. She was part of the CTG Writers Workshop where she began her “Virgin” series with The Mother of Henry. She was a writer for Emmy Nominated East Los High seasons two and three and is developing A Mexican Trilogy for television with Wise Entertainment, producers of East Los High. Fernández has won several awards and recognitions nationally and internationally for her work in film and television, including the Nosotros Golden Eagle Award for Outstanding Writing for her produced screenplay, Luminarias; International Film Festival in Bolivia (Best Screenplay – Luminarias), and many more. She was nominated for the Humanitas Prize in 2005 for an episode of PBS’s Maya and Miguel, “Give me a little sign." She was awarded the "Women in Entertainment" award by the Comision Femenil of Los Angeles along with other prominent Latinas; and was honored by the Community Coalition for her community work. She received a commendation from the Los Angeles City Council and was the recipient of the Lifetime Television Latino Pioneer Award in Washington, D.C; the Spirit Award from the Latino Legislative Caucus in Sacramento, CA and the Latina Business Women Association’s Entertainment Award. She was a proud member of Honorable Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Transition Team in 2005, was appointed by both Mayor Villaraigosa and Mayor Garcetti as a Commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission. Fernández was honored by La Opinion with the Mujeres Destacadas Award for her contribution to the Arts, received recognition awards from Playwright’s Arena, the National Hispanic Media Coalition and the California State Assembly. Fernández is a founding and board member of the Latino Theater Company and the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez (director) recently staged the company’s world premieres of Stephanie Alison Walker’s The Madres and The Abuelas. Other Teatro Vista directing credits are The Wolf at the End of the Block, Parachute Men, In The Time of the Butterflies, Between You, Me & The Lampshade, A View From The Bridge, Momma’s Boyz, i put the fear of mexico in ’em and La Mágica Posada. He is co-founder of the Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists of Chicago (ALTA), a service organization dedicated to promoting and fostering Latinx theater artists in Chicago. As an actor, his credits include Destiny of Desire at Goodman Theatre and South Coast Repertory, In The Heights at Paramount and the world premieres of Song For The Disappeared and Fish Men at Goodman. He has also performed at Actors Theatre in Louisville, Denver Center Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens and Lookingglass Theatre. TV credits include Chicago PD, Sirens and Boss. Before joining Teatro Vista, Gutiérrez served as the artistic director of Nosotros in Los Angeles and The Canterbury Theatre in Indiana.



The Dream King
A World Premiere
By Marvin Quijada
Directed by Sandra Márquez
April 4 – May 10, 2020
At The Richard Christiansen Theatre in The Biograph,
2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago



The Dream King is a genre-bending classic love story with a twist: a man falls in love with the woman of his dreams, while in his dreams. Imaginative, inventive, sweet and sometimes scary, this piece of physical theater, told with a lush musical score and mostly without words, evokes wonder and delight as it delves into the places where sometimes you must confront your personal demons in order to prevail. 

Marvin Quijada (creator, performer) is a Chicago based electronic music producer/composer, iOS musician, DJ, theatrical actor, and a clown/mime. He is an ensemble member with Teatro Vista and Silent Theater. His Teatro Vista stage credits include La Havana Madrid, Mommas Boyz and i put the fear of mexico in ‘em. Other Chicago credits include Pericles, Short Shakespeare! The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet and Othello (Chicago Shakespeare), Season on the Line (The House Theatre) and The Dueling Gentlemen (Silent Theatre Company) which he wrote and directed. His New York credits include Lulu: A Black and White Silent Play (Silent Theatre) which won best play at the NY Fringe Festival in 2005. TV credits include Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. Follow him on SoundCloud and Instagram: SILENT MARVIN.

Sandra Márquez (director) is a longtime Teatro Vista member where her directing credits include Fade, My Mañana Comes, Breakfast Lunch & Dinner and the Jeff-nominated Our Lady of the Underpass. She has acted in numerous Teatro Vista productions including A View from the Bridge for which she received a Jeff Award. Márquez joined the Steppenwolf ensemble in spring 2016 where she most appeared in Mary Page Marlowe, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, The Roommate, A Streetcar Named Desire, Sonia Flew and One Arm. She completed a three-year arc playing Clytemnestra in what was billed as Court Theater's Iphigenia Cycle (Iphigenia at Aulis, Electra and Agememnon). Film and television credits include Boss, Empire, Chicago Med, Chicago Justice and Timer. Márquez is on the theater faculty at Northwestern University.



American Mariachi
In association with Goodman Theatre
By José Cruz González
Directed by Henry Godinez
April 25 – May 31, 2020
At Goodman’s Albert Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago





Familia, amor and tradición are at the heart of this hilarious and heartwarming new comedy about the freedom to dream big. Lucha spends her days caring for her ailing mother, but longs to shake up her 1970s home life. When a forgotten record album sparks her mother’s memory, Lucha and her cousin strike upon a radical idea: to create an all-female mariachi band. Infused with live mariachi music, this “big-hearted, musical tug at the heartstrings” (Denver Post) reveals how music and love can make just about anything possible.

José Cruz González's plays include American Mariachi (Denver Center Theatre Company, Old Globe Theatre), Sunsets & Margaritas (Denver Center Theatre Company), September Shoes (Geva Theatre), Curious (Teatro del Pueblo), Among the Darkest Shadows (Wharton Center for Performing Arts), The Highest Heaven (Childsplay), The Long Road Today (South Coast Repertory), The Astronaut Farmworker (La Jolla Playhouse) and The Magic Rainforest (The Kennedy Center). González has written for PAZ, the Emmy Award nominated television series produced by Discovery Kids for The Learning Channel. His plays have been published by Dramatic Publishing, University of Texas Press, Smith and Kraus, Inc., Anchorage Press Plays, Inc., Playscripts, Inc., Lion and Seagoat Press, and Dutton Children’s Books. González was a 2016 PEN Center USA Literary Award Finalist, 2015 Orlin Corey Medallion by the Children’s Theatre Foundation, 2012 Ann Shaw Fellowship by Theatre for Young Audiences/USA, 2010 Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist Grant, and is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is a professor at California State University Los Angeles and a member of The Dramatists Guild of America and TYA/USA. He is a Playwright in Residence at Childsplay (AZ).

Henry Godinez (Director) is the Resident Artistic Associate at Goodman Theatre. As an actor, Godinez appeared most recently in Robert Falls’ reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, 2666 and the Goodman/Teatro Buendía of Cuba world premiere of Pedro Páramo, and at Writers Theatre in the title role of Quixote: In the Conquest of Self. He has also appeared on television in Chicago PD, Above the Law, The Beast, The Chicago Code, Boss and Chicago Fire. His Goodman directing credits include Charise Castro Smith’s Feathers and Teeth, The Sins of Sor Juana and Mariela in the Desert by Karen Zacarías; José Rivera’s Boleros for the Disenchanted (and world premiere at Yale Repertory Theatre); Regina Taylor’s Millennium Mambo; Luis Alfaro’s Electricidad and Straight as a Line; The Cook by Eduardo Machado; Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez; the Goodman/Teatro Vista co-production of José Rivera’s Cloud Tectonics and the 1996–2001 productions of A Christmas Carol. He also served as director of the Goodman’s Latino Theatre Festival. Co-founder and former artistic director of Teatro Vista, Godinez is the recipient of the 1999 Theatre Communications Group Alan Schneider Director Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the Lawyers for the Creative Arts and was honored as the 2008 Latino Professional of the Year by the Chicago Latino Network. Born in Havana, Cuba, Godinez is a professor at Northwestern University and serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Arts Council and Albany Park Theater Project.

 American Mariachi | Director Henry Godinez

About Teatro Vista

Teatro Vista shares and celebrates the riches of Latinx culture with Chicago audiences. The company provides work and professional advancement opportunities for Latinx theatre artists, with special emphasis on the company’s ensemble members, and seeks to enhance the curricular goals of Chicago students through theater. Teatro Vista was celebrated as one of “Chicago’s Cultural Leaders” by the Arts & Business Council of Chicago and received the League of Chicago Theatre’s Artistic Leadership Award.

Teatro Vista’s primary focus is producing new works by Latinx theatre artists and presenting classic plays featuring artists of color. Its artistic vision is shaped by the company’s ensemble members, a group of multi-generational, multi-ethnic and multi- disciplinary artists. They inform Teatro Vista’s artistic aesthetic by devising original works as well as by selecting plays with themes that are engaging and relevant to Chicago’s diverse population.

Teatro Vista was founded in 1990 by Edward Torres and Henry Godinez. As Teatro Vista’s first Artistic Director, Godinez guided the company during the formative years. He helped stage successful productions and establish vital relationships with other theatre companies and artists. When Godinez stepped down, Torres was appointed Artistic Director. Under Torres’ direction, Teatro Vista used the stage to engage, connect and challenge audience members using the company’s mission as his guide.

In 2012, Torres moved to New York and the Board of Directors promoted Associate Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez to the position of Executive Artistic Director. In 2017, Sylvia Lopez joined Teatro Vista as Managing and Development Director. Previously, Lopez was Director of Marketing and Development of the International Latino Cultural Center and had her own
multicultural event production company.

Teatro Vista ensemble members include Charín Álvarez, Max Arciniega, Desmín Borges, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Ramón Camín, Ivonne Coll, Laura Dahl, Sandra Delgado, Liza Fernández, Khanisha Foster, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Issac Gomez, Ricardo Gutiérrez, Erik Juárez, Jon Lyon, Sandra Márquez, Eddie Martinez, Salome Martinez, Joe Minoso, Ayssette Muñoz, Christina Nieves, Marvin Quijada, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Gabriel Ruíz, Nate Santana, Cecilia Suarez and co-founder Edward Torres.

Teatro Vista’s Board of Directors is Tom Vega-Byrnes, President; Joan Pantsios, Secretary, and Ezequiel “Zeek” Agosto, Bhuvana Badrinathan, Adela Cepeda, Edgar Delgado, Ricardo Gutiérrez, Kelly Jones, Sylvia Lopez, Kareem Mohamednur, Carina Sanchez, Angel Torres and Jose Vasquez.

Teatro Vista is supported by Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events of the City of Chicago, Art Works, Illinois Arts Council, Lester and Hope Abelson, The Shubert Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, the Bayless Family Foundation and Vidal & Associates. Purple Group is Teatro Vista’s Headline Season Sponsor.

For more, visit teatrovista.org, or follow the company on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

About Goodman Theatre
GOODMAN THEATRE, America’s “Best Regional Theater” (Time) and “Chicago’s flagship resident stage” (Chicago Tribune), is a premier not-for-profit theater distinguished by the quality and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Led by Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Key to the theater’s success are its distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. Awards for artistic excellence include two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Joseph Jefferson Awards. GoodmanTheatre.org