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Friday, July 23, 2021

Chicago Magic Lounge Grand Reopening August 2, 2021

 Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar

The Magic is Back®!

 

photo by Hall + Merrick

Chicago Magic Lounge,
the area’s premium venue for Chicago-style, close-up magic
to reopen its secret doors to the pubic
on August 2, 2021 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've been excited about Chicago Magic Lounge since we were first invited to cover their groundbreaking. We were there for their original press opening and many shows since, and we missed them the past 16 months when their stage went dark. That's why we're so excited The Magic is Back®! Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago’s home for close-up magic, announces plans to reopen its speakeasy-style Art Deco venue on August 2, 2021. We dig their minimalist signage and secret entrance through the laundry, a nod to the building's former use as a commercial laundry. The inner swinging bookcase entrance is sweet too! Ready for some post quarantine entertainment? Chicago Magic Lounge has got you covered with mind bending magic and Art Deco charm.




Chicago Magic Lounge will be open at capacity, including the Blackstone Cabaret, 654 Club and Performance Bar. To celebrate the Grand Reopening after a 16-month intermission, Chicago Magic Lounge will be hosting a full week of Signature Shows, from August 2-8, 2021. 

Opening week, August 2-8, 2021, will spotlight some of Chicago’s best local talent, including Signature Show emcee Jan Rose, headliner Luis Carreon and featured performer Justin Purcell. Following the main stage performance, Paige Thompson will perform a close-up magic set for Premium ticketholders in the intimate 654 Club. The Performance Bar will feature AJ Sacco, Deven Brown, and The Amazing Bibik.

CML Owner Joey Cranford comments, “Chicago Magic Lounge is like no other place in Chicago, or elsewhere else, for that matter. We are thrilled to be reopening the secret doors to our gorgeous venue offering a unique entertainment experience. We can’t wait to welcome our audience, magicians and staff. Like so many, we have been looking forward to Opening Day for so long. In honor of our reopening, we want to celebrate the heart of Chicago-style magic by featuring Chicago Magic Lounge company members and local fan favorites, who rank alongside the best magicians worldwide.”

Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge performances are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com. Chicago Magic Lounge is a 21+ venue. Ages 16+ allowed to ticketed shows with a legal guardian.

Showtimes for the opening week are 7pm Monday-Sunday and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Premium tickets (Front Row, Main Floor Cabaret, Main Floor Banquette) are $65 - $75 and include access to exclusive close-up magic performance in the 654 Club immediately after the main stage show. Standard tickets (Rail Seating, Elevated Banquettes, Mezzanine) are $50 - $55. The Performance Bar is open to the public (21+) and no ticket is needed. 

The Signature Show was conceived in 2015 as an homage to the historic, Chicago magic bar scene. Experience close-up magic right at your table during the cocktail hour, followed by an hour of stage magic featuring masters of their craft performing feats of prestidigitation and sleight of hand. Guests who purchase Premium tickets (Front Row, Main Floor Cabaret, Main Floor Banquette) are invited to an exclusive performance of close-up magic directly after the main stage show in our 43-seat close-up gallery, The 654 Club.

photo by Hall + Merrick

The Signature Show: Opening week, August 2-8, 2021

Headliner: Luis Carreon

Luis Carreon is an accomplished and well-respected magician, originally from Mexico. He won the Harlan Tarbell Close-up Competition Award from the International Brotherhood of Magicians two years in a row. He also took home first place at the Chicago Magic Competition hosted by The Society of American Magicians.

With his unique style of humor and wisdom, Luis regularly travels the country teaching other magicians about the art of magic. He is, also, the head demonstrator at Magic Inc., the oldest family-owned magic shop in the country. Internationally, Luis has been featured on the Univision evening news showcasing his talents. He was honored to be a semi-finalist on Tengo Talento, the Spanish language equivalent of America's Got Talent. In addition, he is also a frequent performer at the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. Luis can be seen performing regularly at The Chicago Magic Lounge where he is also one of the founding members.

 

Featured Act: Justin Purcell

Justin Purcell is relentlessly trying to convince audiences: Magic is REAL. Chicago Magazine wrote he performs “with the aplomb of a ringmaster and the flair of a standup comedian” in their issue naming him “Chicago’s Best Bar Magician.” And even top magical expert Dan Harlan calls his sleight-of-hand work “sublime.” He is a founding company member of the Chicago Magic Lounge, where he is a House Magician and frequent Headliner. In addition to doing magic, he plays drums for feminist punk band The Cell Phones and is a father.

 

654 Club: Paige Thompson

Currently living in Chicago, Paige Thompson has become one of the Resident house magicians of the Chicago Magic Lounge.  A longtime dream was recently fulfilled as she appeared for the first time in the close-up gallery at the internationally acclaimed Magic Castle, in Hollywood California.  Paige was also a featured contestant on FOX’s “Showtime at the Apollo,” and last summer made her debut on the CW’s hit television show “Masters of Illusion.”

 

Emcee: Jan Rose

Jan Rose has performed nationally and internationally in all fields of Magic including Family Theatre, Corporate Events, Trade Shows and Conventions, and at Hollywood’s’ World Famous Magic Castle. Jan began her career in Magic in 1983, after joining forces with Magician Danny Orleans. Together they toured their Children’s Theatre Show for well over 6 years. In the early 1990’s, they were mentored by Eddie Fields. The result of that training is a two person show that puts a contemporary spin on an old Variety Act. Jan has been so very grateful to have worked with such great mentors as Eugene Burger, Jay Marshall, Max Maven and Ross Johnson. Happy to return to the theatre, Jan was a supporting Actress/Magic Team Member of The Rosenkranz Mysteries at The Royal George Theatre. She performed over 100 performances of that show! Jan is a Company Member and has been with The Chicago Magic Lounge since the early days in Uptown. She is a native Chicagoan and a member of AEA, AFTRA, and SAG.

 

The Performance Bar

The Performance Bar features signature cocktails, luxurious seating and magicians behind the bar to challenge your imagination. The Performance Bar is open to the public and does not require a ticket to the show. The Performance Bar is 21+ only.

The bar magicians for Opening week are AJ Sacco (Monday), Deven Brown (Tuesday, Wednesday; Friday-Saturday 9pm-close) and The Amazing Bibik (Thursday-Sunday 5pm-9pm)

The regular schedule will return on Monday, August 9, including Music & Magic on Monday nights at 7:00pm, The Showcase on Tuesdays the Artist-in-Residence Series.

Music & Magic

Mondays at 7:00pm

Tickets: General Admission $20

The August schedule includes: Ethan Moll Trio (August 9), Michael Jackson (August 16), The DOT (August 23), and Heisenberg Uncertainty Players (August 30)

 

The Showcase

Tuesdays at 7:00pm

Tickets: Standard: $35; Front Row: $40

Luis Carreon and Paige Thompson, August 10-August 31.

 

Artist-in-Residence Series

Wednesdays at 7:00pm

Tickets: Standard: $40; Front Row: $45

Trent James: Pure Lies, August 11-September 29, 2021

Trent James is back to complete his original run from Spring 2020, along with a one-month extension!

 

The Signature Show

Thursdays-Sundays at 7:00pm, Fridays and Sundays at 10pm from August 12–August 15

Tickets: $50-$55 (Standard); $65-$75 (Premium, includes 654 Club admission)

Featuring Special Guest Nick Diffatte

654 Club features Luis Carreon

 

Special Guest Nick Diffatte is quickly becoming one of the most talked about and in-demand young comic magicians working today. His unique brand of entertainment seamlessly blends dry humor, quick wit, and incredible skill. His performances are presented with perfect comedic timing and a deadpan delivery that has kept audiences laughing uncontrollably all over the country for over 14 years. Most recently, Nick has been seen in a residency at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas, The World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, luxury cruise lines and “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on CBS.

 

For a complete schedule of performances and more information about Chicago Magic Lounge, visit chicagomagiclounge.com.

 

 

About Chicago Magic Lounge

Chicago Magic Lounge reinvents the classic "magic bar" that once dotted Chicago's nightlife landscape, bringing cocktails and card tricks back together again. Shows include magic performance at the bar, on the stage and in true Chicago-style Magic form, at the tables of the guests, providing the classic "Close-Up" tradition Chicago-style Magic is known for. Chicago Magic Lounge is also the home of the Chicagoland magic community, showcasing over 30 local professionals, and serving as a networking hub for working magicians from all over the world. 

 

The newly constructed theater at 5050 N. Clark St., designed by Morris Architects Planners, has ushered in a new wave of entertainment, bringing back “Chicago-style Magic” under the leadership of Donald C Clark, Jr. and Joseph (Joey) Cranford. Converted from a 1940s-era, commercial laundry building, the Chicago Magic Lounge is a 7,200 square-foot, Art Deco, state-of-the-art theater and lounge complete with secret doors, elegant performance areas and a magic bar – all dedicated to the art of sleight of hand, prestidigitation and Chicago's contribution to the magical arts. From magicians to mind readers, Chicago Magic Lounge provides guests the unique, one-of-a-kind experience of seeing wonders up-close and personal in a venue unlike anything else offered throughout the country.

 

Friday, July 16, 2021

TONIGHT: Streaming LIVE The Screwbelles Go Channel Surfing!

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

The Screwbelles Go Channel Surfing!


The Screwbelles are pleased to announce our first virtual show taking place on Friday, July 16. Tickets are on sale for $20: 

Click HERE for tickets. 

Pre-show at 7pm, Show starts at 7:30


Here at ChiIL Live Shows we've caught The Screwbelles' unique brand of comedic burlesque a number of times in person, and love their creativity and their body positive spin. We're excited that they've now created a show you can enjoy in the comforts of home, so it's no longer a barrier if you can't make it to Chicago tonight. Stream from anywhere. If you can't swing the live stream at 7pm tonight, a recording will be available to purchase after. Check it out. 

On the way to their first virtual show, The Screwbelles go missing! Host, Shirley Blazen, goes on a mission to rescue the slapstick superstars before it’s too late! In this made-for-television internet event, expect an action-packed ride full of side splitting absurdity that only The Screwbelles deliver!

Starring: ALLOY, Bettie Attitude, Divine Emmeline, Fig Leaf, Honey Buns, Minnie Moog, Nitty Gritty, Pappy Longstockings, Sheffield Belmont, and Shirley Blazen.

Guest Starring: Coco Sho-Nell, Cindy Nero, and Highness Noire.

ABOUT THE SCREWBELLES

Chicago's fearlessly funny Slapstick syndicate, The Screwbelles, is a character driven Vaudeville style comedy ensemble that has been splitting sides since 2016!

From eight eager comedians busting guts at a burlesque show, The Screwbelles have exploded, performing in 5 comedy festivals, producing 17 full length shows, and developing over 50 sketches.

The Screwbelles have no doubt carved out a niche in the performing arts community for classic comedy with a schticky twist!

Our Mission

The Screwbelles mission is to nurture a safe, equitable and candid community that celebrates gutsy comedic performance.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

OPENING: I HATE IT HERE BY IKE HOLTER, FINAL PRODUCTION OF THE GOODMAN'S STREAMING LIVE SERIES

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

I HATE IT HERE BY IKE HOLTER, DIRECTED BY LILI-ANNE BROWN, THE FINAL PRODUCTION OF 
THE LIVE SERIES

**I HATE IT HERE OPENS JULY 15 (7:30PM CDT) AND RUNS THROUGH JULY 18 ONLY**
 

Gabriel Ruiz (Martin) in I Hate It Here by Ike Holter, directed by Lili-Anne Brown at Goodman Theatre (July 15-July 18, 2021), GoodmanTheatre.org/Here. Photo by Flint Chaney.

There's nothing like theatre to help audiences process collective trauma and increase empathy and one of the first to tackle 2020 is here. Sure, streaming is a second to seeing shows in person, but live streams in real time capture the energy and spirit of a one of a kind performance. Check out this 5 show only limited run.

Goodman Theatre’s streaming-in-real-time Live series concludes with I Hate It Here by Ike Holter and directed by Lili-Anne Brown. Featuring a dynamic cast (full list below), the production is a “sharp and satisfyingly foul-mouthed” (The New York Times) rallying cry for our times. I Hate It Here appears July 15 at 7:30pm; July 16 at 7:30pm; July 17 at 2pm and 7:30pm; and July 18 at 2pm; all performances will be presented with open captioning. Tickets are $25; visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Here for more information. 


In I Hate It Here, there's one thing Americans can agree on: it's that 2020 was not the best way to begin a new decade. With guts and humor, punctuated with story and song, Ike Holter asks who we are in a world on the brink explosion.

Technology, videography and stage production come together for the three-play Live series, Goodman Theatre's next step towards resuming in-person performances. Accessible via multiple video cameras, each performance of three new productions—including two Chicago premieres and a major revival—are streamed live online for real-time consumption by audiences at home. Christiana Tye of Christiana Tye Productions and Gabe Hatfield of Hatfield Post/Production are the Goodman's video partner for Live, collaborating with each director to realize the vision of the play for the camera medium.


I Hate It Here
By Ike Holter
Directed by Lili-Anne Brown
Ace/Thomas….............................Patrick Agada
Pete/Rah/Wash…........................Jayson Brooks
Ashwana/Mrs.Marcy/Tanya.........Sydney Charles
Manny/Worker/Ted…...................Behzad Debu
Maya/Lisa/April….........................Kirsten Fitzgerald
Martin/Alex/Frank….....................Gabriel Ruiz
Charlotte......................................Special Guest

The Design Team includes Arnel Sancianco (Set), Mieka van der Ploeg (Costumes), Jason Lynch (Lighting), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound) and Paul Deziel (Projections). Casting is by Lauren Port. Briana J. Fahey is the Production Stage Manager, Christiana Tye is the Video Director and Gabe Hatfield is the Director of Photography.

Live is made possible through the generous support of Northern Trust, Live Major Corporate Sponsor; Katten Muchin Rosenman, Live Corporate Sponsor Partner; Winston & Strawn, Ohio State Murders Digital Production Sponsor; and Russell Reynolds Associates, The Sound Inside Digital Production Sponsor. The Goodman is grateful to its artist union partners, including Actors’ Equity Association (AEA); Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC); and United Scenic Artists (USA).

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT AND DIRECTOR

Ike Holter (Playwright) returns to the Goodman where his play Lottery Day was produced in 2019. Additional Chicago credits include Red Rex (Steep Theatre); Rightlynd (Victory Gardens Theatre); The Light Fantastic, Prowess and Exit Strategy (Jackalope Theatre); The Wolf at the End of the Block (Teatro Vista); Sender (A Red Orchid Theatre); and Hit the Wall (The Inconvenience). Off-Broadway credits include Exit Strategy (Primary Stages); and Hit the Wall (Barrow Street). Regional credits include Put Your House in Order (La Jolla Playhouse). TV credits include Fosse/Verdon (FX). Ike is developing a project with Tribeca Productions/Netflix and the HAROLD series for Wayfarer Studios. He is a winner of the WGA Award for Fosse/Verdon and the Windham-Campbell Prize for playwriting. IkeHolter.com

Lili-Anne Brown (Director) is a native Chicagoan who works as a director, actor and educator. She has performed in, directed and produced many award-winning shows, both local and regional. Goodman credits include School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play and the world premiere of Ike Holter's Lottery Day. She is the former Artistic Director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she focused programming on Chicago-premiere musicals and new play development with resident playwrights. She is a member of SDC, AEA, SAG-AFTRA and is represented by William Morris Endeavor. lilbrownchicago.com

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community 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. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades. The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” It’s longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fourth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of the theatrical profession, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand the cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home to these programs, which are offered free of charge for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

As a cultural and community organization invested in quality, diversity and community, Goodman Theatre is committed to using the art of theater for a better Chicago. Goodman Theatre’s Action Plan for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism and Access (IDEAA) was born out of the belief that progress means action, which includes building on the decades-long commitment to using art, assets and resources to contribute to a more just, equitable and anti-racist society.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Rebecca Gilman, Dael Orlandersmith, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Kimberly Senior, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. Jeff Hesse is Chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Fran Del Boca is Women’s Board President and Megan McCarthy Hayes is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.



Sunday, July 4, 2021

REVIEW: Black Lives, Black Words Filmed Premiere of Ride Share Now Streaming Through July 25, 2021

ChiIL Streaming Shows On Our Radar:

Black Lives, Black Words International Project and Writers Theatre

 filmed premiere of

Ride Share

Written by Reginald Edmund

Directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway

Featuring Kamal Angelo Bolden

 

June 23 - July 25, 2021




REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Sixteen months after theatres went dark across the nation, streaming shows are sometimes a hard sell. Zoom fatigue and screen burnout is real, and even diehard theatre fans are longing for the connection and interaction of live shows. We're talking about a medium so intimate, patrons' heartbeats sync up as they watch a show, and audience reactions influence and alter the performance in real time. There's been a lot of trial and error as well as growing pains, trying to pivot the theatre industry to a viable quarantine compliant form. Even the best prerecorded, streaming shows have an uphill battle to compete. That said, Ride Share is a timely triumph and well worth watching. I wouldn't be surprised if it stands years from now, as as both a stark reminder of this moment in history, in content and style, and a stellar example that the show must go on.  

Peoria, IL native, Kamal Angelo Bolden delivers a stunning, high energy performance as Marcus. His entire character trajectory is captivating, multilayered, and well suited to a streaming show. The emotions he evokes in the audience run the gamut from empathy to amusement, to anger and back again. 

Bolden performed the show live in his apartment over Zoom, using his laptop as the camera and differentiating locations, time and character by utilizing different rooms, lighting and household objects. 

I was initially expecting more of a Hell Cab scenario, albeit as a one man show, but Ride Share is at once deeper and more disturbing. This satisfying revenge fantasy is a great commentary on capitalist society and a fair number of isms too. Classism, racism, exploitation and invisibility of frontline workers, and more social issues and human personality flaws are brought forth with humor and insight.  

Kudos to both Black Lives, Black Words International Project for still storytelling even when covid 19 made creating complicated, and Writers Theatre for giving this filmed premiere amplification and a wider audience. The pandemic has been an amplifier, exposing inequality in the world at large and in Chicago's theatre scene.  Here at ChiIL Live Shows we're excited that black lives, words, and talent are finally gaining more well deserved stage time and space at the table. We're optimistic for things to come. 

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer, theater critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

Marcus has a new wife, a comfortable job and everything seems to be falling into place – until his honeymoon is interrupted by an email from work, laying him off. To make ends meet, he becomes a ride share driver, shuttling passengers from all walks of life to and from parties, brunches and meetings. The passengers range from silly, to seductive – to downright scary. But as long as Marcus keeps his radio on and his wits about him, there’s nothing he can’t handle…right? 

Written and directed by Black Lives, Black Words co-founders Reginald Edmund and Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway respectively, Ride Share steps on the gas and takes you along for the dangerous, thrilling ride. Hop in.

Ride Share is co-produced by Black Lives, Black Words International Project and Writers Theatre. It was filmed in Los Angeles in April 2021.

The creative team and crew for Ride Share also includes Tannie Xin Tang (Director of Photography), Lesley Kubistal (Editor), Kerry Baines (Sound Designer/Composer/Mixer), Alexandra Regazzoni (Scenic Designer), Mbela Endeley (Audio Recordist Operator), Katrina D. RiChard (Line Producer), Brian Gutierrez (1st Camera Assistant), Leland Deming (2nd Camera Assistant), Matteo Martignago (Gaffer), Jim Ritchey (Best Boy Electric), Bryan Coleman (Key Grip), Han Luo (Best Boy Grip), Yaowen Fan (Swing), Todd McGraw (Rigger), Noah Michal (Production Assistant), Juliana Acosta (COVID Compliance Officer), Michael Halberstam (Executive Producer), Chris Greiner (Producer), Bobby Kennedy (Artistic Producer) and Adam Veness (Technical Director/Associate Scenic Designer).

Of the production, director Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway says, "As a director, you are constantly looking for a story that thrills, excites and offers creative challenges. Ride Share is a rare gem that every director and actor would love to get their hands on. Every turn of the page takes you deeper into the subconsciousness of Marcus and shines a light on America by questioning the obtainment of the American Dream for Black and POC front-line workers. Reginald’s writing is brutally honest, beautifully raw and boldly unapologetic – it has been a dream to direct this important piece of work, our first feature film at Black Lives, Black Words, in partnership with Writers Theatre. I simply cannot wait to share it with the world."

Reginald Edmund acted as the Dramaturg for Writers Theatre's acclaimed 2017 production of East Texas Hot Links by Eugene Lee, directed by Ron OJ Parson.

Reginald Edmund, Managing Curating Producer of Black Lives, Black Words and writer of Ride Share says, "From an unfunded independent BLBW Zoom play to my first feature film in partnership with Writers Theatre in less than a year - the creation of Ride Share has been one of the most awarding moments in my career. Inspired by my experience as an Uber driver and chronicled accounts on Facebook, Ride Share is the perfect blend of personal experiences and amalgamated reality that stirs the soul as it takes us on a journey into the depths of the black male experience in America. Under the direction of Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway, who is one of the most exciting theatrical minds of our generation and a true visionary, Ride Share has been elevated with every incarnation of this project and I can't wait for audiences to see the feature film. I hope audiences are ready! Black Lives, Black Words is grateful to the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the brilliant Writers Theatre team for this exciting partnership and unwavering support."

Michael Halberstam adds, “This collaboration with Black Lives, Black Words has been a dream. Reggie’s powerful poetic vision for his screenplay and his impressively defined production company stands at the core of this collaboration. Furthermore, we were inspired by Simeilia's remarkable prowess for creating a striking visual vocabulary which employs the engines of theatre and the tools of film to create a truly unique hybrid of the two mediums. Both artists have been perfectly balanced by Kamal Angelo Bolden’s breathtaking performance. It was a true privilege to be in the room with the team Reggie and Sim assembled and we all dream of many further collaborations.”  

Kamal Angelo Bolden (Marcus) A native of Peoria, IL, Kamal graduated from Bradley University with a degree in Business Administration-Entrepreneurship. After several years of working in corporate America, he took a leap of faith to pursue acting full time, going on to star in dozens of regional theatre productions in Nashville and Chicago, including the lead role ‘Hero’ in the Goodman Theatre’s production of Suzan-Lori Parks’ Father Comes Home From The Wars Parts 1,2, & 3 and the title role of ‘Chad Deity’ in the world premiere of Kristoffer Diaz’s Pulitzer Prize finalist play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Victory Gardens Theatre. Off-Broadway, he received the AUDELCO Award for Best Actor for his work in Reparations at the historic Billie Holiday Theatre and a nomination for his turn in The Opponent at 59E59St Theatre. Though he discovered a fondness for the camera in the Big Apple, making his debut on FX’s Lights Out and the popular Christmas movie The Night Before, still it was his love for theatre that brought him to LA to be directed by legendary actress Phylicia Rashad in Immediate Family at the Mark Taper Forum. In just a short time in L.A., Kamal has gone on to create several memorable characters on television including recurring roles on NBC’s Chicago Fire, FOX’s Rosewood, HBO’s Insecure and FOX’s The Resident. On film, he spent some time in Wales filming the action-packed horror flick Ravers before landing the leading role of ‘Russell Savage’ in the BET film Keys to the City. Most recently, Kamal completed filming the Hulu comedy Vacation Friends alongside Lil Rel Howery and John Cena and is currently filming AMC’s 61st Street, executive produced by Michael B. Jordan. His education includes training at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford.

Both Reginald Edmund and Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway are award-winning theatre artists and are the co-founders of Black Lives, Black Words International Project. 

Reginald Edmund (Writer) is the Co-Founder and Managing Curating Producer for Black Lives, Black Words International Project. Inspired by #blacklivesmatter, this project gives voice to some of the most contemporary political black writers from both the U.S., Canada and the U.K., asking them to explore the question, “Do black lives matter today?” In addition, he was a Resident Playwright at Tamasha Theatre in London, England and an Alumni Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists Theatre, an Artistic Associate at Pegasus Theatre-Chicago and an Artistic Patriot at Merrimack Repertory Theatre; he was also a 2010-11 Many Voice Fellow with the Playwrights’ Center. His play Southbridge was runner up for the Kennedy Center’s Lorraine Hansberry and Rosa Parks National Playwriting Awards, and most recently named winner of the Southern Playwrights’ Competition, the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best New Play and the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. His nine-play series titled The City of the Bayou Collection, include Southbridge, Juneteenth Street, The Last Cadillac and All the Dying Voices were developed at esteemed theaters including Pegasus Theatre-Chicago, Deluxe Theatre, Actors Theatre of Charlotte, Bush Theatre (U.K.), Theatre @ Boston Court, The Landing Theatre, Playwrights’ Center and The National Theatre (U.K.). Reginald Edmund received his BFA in Theatre-Performance from Texas Southern University and his MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.

Ride Share was originally commissioned and produced by Black Lives, Black Words International Project in July 2020. The piece by Reginald Edmund was also directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway and starred Kamal Angelo Bolden. 

Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway (Director) is an internationally acclaimed arts leader, director, producer, changemaker, black plays specialist and dramaturg. More recently recognized for the commission and direction of The Interrogation of Sandra Bland by Mojisola Adebayo, performed by 100 women of color at Goodman Theatre as part of Black Lives Black Words: I AM Fest. Simeilia is the Co-founder and Creative Director at Black Lives Black Words International Festival, Founder and CEO at Beyond The Canon Limited, Curatorial Consultant at Manchester International Festival and Founder and former CEO at Artistic Directors of the Future. Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway has been listed five consecutive years in the Stage Top 100 Power List (2017-21), selected by Google and TED as one of the five international Emerging Innovators (2019), named in the London Evening Standard The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2018 - Performance: Theatre, included in the Who Who's 2020 publication, the standard, up-to-date source book of information on people of influence and interest in all fields and recipient of The Stage Innovation Award for her work on diversifying U.K. arts boards in 2020. She is also former researcher, trouble-shooter and Project Manager of the National Theatre's Black Play Archive, Editor of the first monologue anthology inspired by black British Plays: ‘The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors: Classical and Contemporary Speeches from Black British Plays’ which was followed by a second monologue anthology, inspired by the work of international playwrights, published by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama: ‘Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors’ and former Trustee at the Directors Guild of Great Britain and Company of Angels Theatre Company. She also works nationally and internationally as a teacher/guest lecture, audience development consultant and leadership consultant. 

Schedule: June 23 - July 25, 2021

Tickets: Call the Box Office at 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

Ride Share is available to WT Classic Subscribers at no additional charge.

Up Front Flex Members who would like to watch Ride Share can use one of their pre-paid Member tickets and book for no additional charge by calling the Box Office at 847-242-6000. Pay As You Go Members can purchase one of their $35 Member tickets by calling the Box Office.

 

Prices:              

Ticket prices are based on number of viewers in your household:

Solo: $40

Duo: $65

Trio: $85

Ensemble (4+): $100

All prices are subject to regular per-ticket fees.

Accessibility: Closed Captioning will be available on all performances. Audio Description will be available on demand during the full run. Patrons will be able to select the AD performance when purchasing their ticket.

Box Office: Call the WT Box Office at 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

For the safety of our employees and patrons, Writers Theatre will continue to operate all WT Box Office business remotely. Associates will be available to take your call, Monday and Tuesday, 12-5pm CST, and Wednesday – Saturday, 12-7:30pm CST. The Writers Theatre Box Office located in our Theatre Center in downtown Glencoe will remain closed until further notice to encourage social distancing.

Writers Theatre is pleased to welcome back BMO Harris Bank for 2020/21 as the distinguished Season Sponsor, marking the Bank’s tenth consecutive year as season sponsor. 



 

ABOUT BLACK LIVES, BLACK WORDS INTERNATIONAL PROJECT 

Black Lives, Black Words International project is the definition of Activist Theatre. Dedicated to social justice, BLBW commissions, develops and produces bold and unapologetic artistic responses to current social and political issues. Through exciting partnerships with like-minded arts and academia institutions, BLBW commissions new plays and films widening the accessibility to mainstream institutions and increasing the visibility of new and existing POC artists. The ambition of BLBW has led to create a successful pathway to artistic employment opportunities in the arts for POC creatives across the globe.

 

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE 

For 29 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, Writers Theatre 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 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, June 24, 2021

FREE: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Streaming World Premiere of Greener Grass June 24-27, 2021

Greener Grass Streaming Free with RSVP

photo credit: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago


Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s (HSDC) Season 43: A Virtual Homecoming will conclude with the world premiere of Greener Grass, a full-company work choreographed and directed by former HSDC company dancer Jie-Hung Connie Shiau and featuring original music and composition by Jerome Begin and videography and editing by Kevin Michael Briggs. 

Shiau sites the seed of this work as witnessing the establishment of..."re-education camps," referred to by some as concentration camps, to forcibly contain Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other traditionally Muslim minority groups in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Zone. From her perspective, the insufficient effort and failure by world leaders to recognize and condemn this violent act leads to the necessity of the piece. Her hope for this work is to raise awareness of this humanitarian crisis. 

“As a Taiwanese woman who grew up seeing her own country constantly dismissed and silenced on the international stage due to pressure from the Chinese government, I am inspired to speak out against the Chinese government’s current efforts to silence and erase the Uyghur and Kazakh Muslims' cultural identity,” says Shiau. “Of course, I will never be able to fully understand the pain of the Uyghurs and Kazakhs, but I'd like to use my voice as an artist to draw attention to these issues and encourage people to take action.”

Greener Grass will premiere on June 24, 2021 at 7:30pm and will have additional screenings on June 26 at 7:30pm and June 27 at 2pm. The performance will be live streamed on Vimeo and will include a post-show Q&A. Admission is free, find out more and register at hubbardstreetdance.com.  Registration opens June 11. 

ABOUT JIE-HUNG CONNIE SHIAU 

Jie-Hung Connie Shiau was born in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A., and raised in Tainan, Taiwan. She moved to the United States to further her dance education and pursue a professional dance career at the age of 18. She received her BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. Shiau has worked as a collaborator with an array of companies including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Kyle Abraham / Abraham.In.Motion, Gallim Dance, Helen Simoneau Danse, MeenMoves, Adam Barruch Dance, and The Kevin Wynn Collection. She has performed works by

Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Lou Conte, Brian Brooks, Peter Chu, Robyn Mineko

Williams, Alejandro Cerrudo, Helen Simoneau, Sameena Mitta, Rena Butler, Alice

Klock, Osnel Delgado, and Adam Barruch. During her time with Kyle Abraham / Abraham.In.Motion, she assisted Abraham on the Untitled America creation process on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, she also restaged Abraham’s works on numerous schools such as SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, Point Park University, Cornish College, Rutgers University, Princeton University, Queensborough Community College, and Booker T Washington Visual and Performing Arts High School.   

In addition, Shiau was a recipient of Chicago Dancemaker Forum Greenhouse Artist in 2019, New Choreographer Project in Taipei, Taiwan in 2019, Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” in 2018, Honorable Mention for Jadin Wong Award for Emerging Asian American Dancer in 2014, and Reverb Dance Festival Dancer Award in 2014. 

ABOUT HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO 

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s mission is to bring artists, art and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate and change lives through the experience of dance. HSDC is committed to keeping its dancers creating and finding innovative ways to share exceptional contemporary dance with the community. Now under the artistic direction  of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1977, and Conte served as Artistic Director for 23 years. Hubbard Street offers extensive Education and Adaptive Dance Programs to ensure that residents in every neighborhood of Chicago have access to the benefits ofdance. Visit hubbardstreetdance.com for more information. 

Sunday, December 20, 2020

HELP OUT: Hell in a Handbag Productions Announces Annual Benefit “THE MORNING AFTER” Featuring the Very First Live Stream of POSEIDON! AN UPSIDE-DOWN MUSICAL Streaming January 1, 2021 from 6 – 9:30 pm CST

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Hell in a Handbag Productions Announces Annual Benefit

“THE MORNING AFTER”

Featuring the Very First Live Stream of

POSEIDON! AN UPSIDE-DOWN MUSICAL

Streaming January 1, 2021 from 6 – 9:30 pm CST

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to announce its annual benefit “The Morning After,” featuring the streaming world premiere of the smash hit musical that started it all for them, POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical on Friday, January 1, 2021 from 6 – 9:30 pm CST. Tickets ($22–$30) include a 6 pm pre-show discussion and never-before-seen clips from past POSEIDON! productions, memories from cast and crew members of all three productions, and a raffle and silent auction featuring fabulous self-care items for you to bid on to make your quarantine bearable! Handbag will also provide links to order food and cocktails from partnering restaurants. Tickets are currently available at eventbrite.com. All proceeds benefit Hell in a Handbag Productions, Chicago’s leading camp and parody theater company.

(left to right) Shane Roberie, Elizabeth Lesinski, Katherine Bellantone, Nicky Mendelson, David Lipschutz, Frankie Leo Bennett, Scott Sawa, Stevie Love, Tommy Bullington and Michael S. Miller in Hell in a Handbag Productions’ revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical. All Photos by Rick Aguilar Studios.


(front, l to r) Brittney Brown, Michael S. Miller, Tommy Bullington, Maiko Terazawa and the cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions’ revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical. 

“What do you to when your world turns upside down? That’s what POSEIDON! is about,” comments Artistic Director David Cerda*. “This is what makes the first live stream of POSEIDON! in 18 years so relevant for today. We’re all just trying to survive, physically and mentally.”

The 2019 production of POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical was recorded by Peter Neville* in HD with stereo sound at Chicago’s Edge Theater. POSEIDON! features book and lyrics by Handbag Artistic Director David Cerda*, music by David Cerda* with Scott Lamberty, direction by Derek Van Barham, music direction by Andrew Milliken and choreography by Breon Arzell.


(left to right) Frankie Leo Bennett, Shane Roberie, Elizabeth Lesinski, Katherine Bellantone, Stevie Love, Nicky Mendelson, Scott Sawa, Tommy Bullington, David Lipschutz and Michael S. Miller

The cast includes Katherine Bellantone, Frankie Leo Bennett, Brittney Brown, Tommy Bullington, Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*, Josh Kemper, Elizabeth Lesinski*, David Lipschutz*, Stevie Love*, Nicky Mendelson, Michael S. Miller*, Courtney Dane Mize, Elissa Newcorn, Marc Prince, Shane Roberie, Scott Sawa, Patrick Stengle and Maiko Terazawa.

(front) Stevie Love (with back, l to r) David Lipschutz, Shane Roberie, Elizabeth Lesinski, Nicky Mendelson and Scott Sawa 

It’s New Year’s Eve and a group of hardcore fans have gathered for their annual viewing of the greatest film ever – The Poseidon Adventure, the story of the capsize of the SS Poseidon on New Year’s Eve, and the handful of misfit passengers that decide to climb to the top of the ship – which is now the bottom. As the story progresses the viewers become one with the film. POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical is part parody, part homage – and a look at how movies can leave their mark on you.

(front, l to r) Katherine Bellantone, Frankie Leo Bennett and Courtney Dane Mize with (back) Stevie Love 

(pictured) The cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions’ revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical. 

Handbag’s original 2002 Chicago production of POSEIDON! was a critical and popular smash and extended for a five-month sold-out run in Chicago, and was accepted into The New York International Fringe Festival, where it was the most attended show of 2003, winning an award of excellence for Best Ensemble. The show was remounted in 2009 at The Chopin Theatre and enjoyed another extended run.

For Tickets and More Information click here.

(left to right) Elizabeth Lesinski, Scott Sawa, Tommy Bullington, Shane Roberie and Frankie Leo Bennett 

(pictured) The cast of in Hell in a Handbag Productions’ revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical. 

Benefit Schedule: 

6 pm: Pre-show with never-before-seen clips, and memories with the cast members from all three productions.

6:30 pm: the virtual world premiere of POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical.

7:45 pm: Intermission, raffle drawings and bonus clips.

8:50 pm: POSEIDON! ends – raffle and silent auction winners.

9:15 pm: You end up giving us all of your money!

(left to right) Elissa Newcorn, Shane Roberie, Elizabeth Lesinski, David Lipschutz and Caitlin Jackson

(left to right) Scott Sawa, Josh Kemper, Elizabeth Lesinski, Marc Prince, Nicky Mendelson and the cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions’ revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical. Photo 

The production team includes Christopher Rhoton (scenic design), Beth Laske Miller (costume design), Cat Wilson* (lighting design), Danny Rockett (sound design), Adrian Hadlock (props design), Sydney Genco* (make-up design), Keith Ryan* (wig design), R & D Fight Choreography (violence and stunt choreography), Madison Smith (assistant director), Noah Watkins (technical director), Andrew C. Donnelly* (stage manager) and Dani Bar-Lavi (assistant stage manager).

Although 2020 has put a stop to live performances, Hell in a Handbag has met the challenge with their very first virtual production of The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes; a fun, safe drive-in series of their greatest hits; Airport 1970SOMETHING, a streaming parody of another ‘70s disaster classic: and their current holiday show, The Rip Nelson Holiday Quarantine Special, filmed on a set with the magic of green screen and a little ingenuity, playing through January 9, 2020. 

*Denotes Handbag ensemble members and artistic associates


(front, l to r) Marc Prince, Elizabeth Lesinski, Scott Sawa, Shane Roberie and the cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions’ revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical.

(left to right) Patrick Stengle and Stevie Love in Hell in a Handbag Productions’ revival of POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical. Photo by Rick Aguilar Studios.

 About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Review: Fefu And Her Friends Streaming Through December 9th To Benefit Season Of Concern $5-$10

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

DREAM TEAM CAST OF CHICAGO'S TOP WOMEN THEATER ARTISTS TO STAR IN FEFU AND HER FRIENDS, PRODUCED BY SEASON OF CONCERN TO BENEFIT CHICAGO'S EMERGENCY FUND FOR THEATER ARTISTS


Review
By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

What a joy to stream María Irene Fornés’ Fefu and Her Friends last night. I'm still glowing from all the girl power energy. It's a rare treat to find an all female show with eight women and the cast is superb. It's eerie how prescient and relevant these word are today. Set in 1935, through a 2020 lens, Fornés’ words from 1977 are timeless truths. Life is theatre and theatre is life indeed. 

I'm generally not an outwardly emotional audience member, but I confess, this production had me laughing along and enjoying the palpable camaraderie of the characters. In the talkback, the actors' genuine affection for one another came through, and I'm 100% sure this is the first Q&A that made me tear up. This staged reading is the best example of Zoom-style staging I've seen to date, and it's a tough style to pivot to. Props were passed seamlessly, and it was lovely how intimate breakout dialogues alternated with small groups and the energy of the full cast interacting. Ultimately there was such a true interconnection between characters, so often lacking while we can't share stage space. 

I loved the way Fornés included the complicated layers of women and their relationships, touching on the physical work, philanthropic volunteering, accountability, healing, and emotional work women do among friend circles. The sheer fear and exhaustion of womanhood is brilliantly brandished along with deep reserves of courage and the power of humor and playfulness. The characters are quirky enough to be fascinating and universal enough to ring true, and their traumas, accomplishments, fears and friendships are all too familiar.

In our current covid induced crisis of connection this production is a welcome way to reconnect. Even better, tickets and donations directly benefit Season of Concern, the emergency fund for Chicago theater artists. Highly recommended. 

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 



Season of Concern, the emergency fund for Chicago theater artists, is co-producing a virtual production of Fefu and Her Friends, Cuban-American playwright María Irene Fornés’ feminist masterwork, in partnership with much-admired Chicago theater artist Mary Beth Fisher.



Director Stacy Stoltz has assembled an amazing, dream team of eight of Chicago’s top leading ladies to co-star in this special benefit production 

WGN-TV news anchor and reporter Lourdes Duarte is the evening’s virtual host.


Fefu and Her Friends will be presented as a virtual, enhanced stage reading. The 80-minute production will be immediately followed by a live talk back with members of the cast and production team.

Ticket sales will be turned into direct financial aid for members of Chicago’s theater community who cannot work due to illness, injury or circumstance. As Chicago’s stages remain shuttered due to Covid-19, these funds are particularly critical for Chicago artists in need.

Season of Concern, the emergency fund for Chicago theater artists, is thrilled to announce it will co-produce a virtual production of Fefu and Her Friends, Cuban-American playwright María Irene Fornés’ feminist masterwork, in partnership with much-admired Chicago theater artist Mary Beth Fisher.

Director Stacy Stoltz has assembled an amazing, dream team of eight of Chicago’s top leading ladies to co-star in this special benefit production: Charin Alvarez, Sandra Delgado, Ora Jones, Delia Kropp, Sadieh Rifai, Lisa Tejero, Janet Ulrich Brooks and Penelope Walker.

WGN-TV news anchor and reporter Lourdes Duarte has signed on as the evening’s virtual host.

Anne Garcîa-Romero, Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Notre Dame and co-founder of The Fornés Institute, is dramaturg. Devin Brain is technical director and video editor.

Fefu and Her Friends will be presented as a virtual, enhanced stage reading. The 80-minute production will premiere online on Saturday, December 5 at 7 p.m. CT, and will be immediately followed by a live talk back with members of the cast and production team.

Tickets for Fefu and Her Friends -- $10/$5 for students and seniors – are on sale now. To purchase, visit the Season of Concern website, seasonofconcern.org, or call (312) 375-1133.

All ticket buyers will receive a private Vimeo link a few hours before show time with simple instructions how to stream the performance. The show will debut promptly at 7 p.m., although ticket holders have the option to watch the production on demand within 24 hours.

Afterwards, the performance will be posted on Season of Concern's website, seasonofconcern.org, for on-demand viewing through December 9. Post-opening tickets are $10/$5.

Proceeds will benefit Season of Concern, which provides financial assistance to Chicagoland theater practitioners impacted by illness, injury or circumstances that prevent them from working. For more information, visit seasonofconcern.org.

Fefu and Her Friends: Behind the scenes

Fefu and Her Friends, told in three parts, is set on one amazing day in the spring of 1935 in a New England country home, where Fefu and her seven female friends have gathered to rehearse a presentation for their charity benefiting arts education. The women interact over their planning - studying, drinking, repairing plumbing, analyzing dreams and relationships, while Fefu carries on an unusual game involving her unseen husband outside and a rifle. Shifting between realism and surrealism, this award-winning play asks its audience to consider what is most "real" - is it what is in front of you or what is inside of you? 

Originally staged and directed by Fornés herself in 1977, Fefu and Her Friends is best known for its use of an all-female cast and her bold and experimental deviations from conventional playwriting and stage presentation. The play earned Fornés one of her nine Obie Awards and is still considered one of the most influential Off-Broadway plays ever - remaining a key work of the American avant-garde.

"Fornés, my teacher and mentor, taught me to seek authenticity and truth in my playwriting," said dramaturg Anne García-Romero. "Fefu and Her Friends remains one of the most important (and lesser known) plays of the twentieth century and explores the authentic and true experiences of women in the 1930's as they struggle to survive in a patriarchal society. In these times, Fefu and Her Friends reminds me of the importance and power of women in community, joining together to uplift each other, in the face of relentless inequities."

"I think Fornés was always mining what is underneath the surface," said co-producer Mary Beth Fisher. “Gender roles, friendship, love, sexuality, conformity, community, the haves and the have-nots - to me, all these things speak clearly to the present moment in our country. If you feel powerless, what does it take to feel powerful? If you feel like you don't have a voice, how do you find it? And how do you use it?"

Director Stacy Stoltz adds, “This play settles some of my very unsettled feelings about being a woman in our country right now - what would it be like if I didn't have to censor myself or smile and stay calm when I'm feeling the opposite. It kind of scratches an infuriating itch. It's a rare thing for a group of women to be given so much time and space to try to connect and grapple with their intimate feelings.”

“We can’t wait for audiences to enjoy this inventive new staging of Fefu and Her Friends,” added Season of Concern Managing Director Michael Ryczek. “A virtual revival of Fornés’ most famous feminist masterpiece seems more than relevant at this particular moment in history. Moreover, ticket sales will be turned right back into direct financial aid for members of Chicago’s theater community who cannot work due to illness, injury or circumstance. As Chicago’s stages remain shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these funds are particularly critical for Chicago artists in need.”


Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust is the generous sponsor of this event, along with The Actors Fund and Jay Kelly PR.

Special thanks to Theater Wit and its artistic director, Jeremy Wechsler.


About Season of Concern Chicago:

The short-term emergency fund for Chicago’s theater community

 Season of Concern is the short-term emergency fund for Chicago’s theater community. Since 1987, it has provided direct, short-term emergency financial assistance to Chicago-area actors, directors, designers, technicians, playwrights—anyone working in the theater—who have found themselves temporarily unable to work due to injury, illness or circumstance.

Season of Concern supports both members of Actors’ Equity Association, as well as Non-Equity theater makers. If your name appears in a local theater program, you’re eligible to apply for short-term financial assistance. Season of Concern also provides sustaining support to the Chicago office of The Actors Fund, the national human services organization for entertainment and performing arts professionals in theater, film, music, opera, television and dance with a broad spectrum of social, health, employment and housing programs. Last year alone, Season of Concern Chicago donated more than $100,000 to the Chicago office of The Actors Fund.

Season of Concern was founded more than 30 years ago as the Chicago theater community’s response to the advent of the AIDS crisis and has consistently worked to support those afflicted with AIDS-related illnesses ever since, collecting over $3 million through audience donations. Season of Concern relies on fundraising and donations to complete its mission, including its well-known holiday season fundraising campaign in which Chicago theater artists at participating theaters volunteer to make an appeal and pass a donation bucket through the audience after each show.

Season of Concern continues to provide critical funding to over 25 Chicago-based direct care HIV/AIDS organizations, but has expanded its mission more recently to support the greater health needs of the Chicagoland theater community. Following a two-year strategic planning initiative, Season of Concern’s updated mission statement is to provide financial assistance to those in our community impacted by illness, injury or circumstance. Its vision is to work toward a future where no member of the Chicagoland Theatre community struggles alone.

Earlier this year, Season of Concern launched new branding and an enhanced website – seasonofconcern.org – to bring new attention to this expanded mission. Visit the site’s new Get Help and Apply Now pages to link directly to guidelines for medical assistance.

Season of Concern Chicago, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is led by managing director Michael Ryczek, board president Luther Goins, and a dedicated board of directors: Melissa Carsten, Mike Checuga, Sandra Delgado, Martin (Marty) Grochala, Charls Sedgwick Hall, Mark David Kaplan, Doug MacKechnie, Ken-Matt Martin, Billy Mayer, Bridget McDonough, Marcelle McVay, Rondi Reed, Jane Nicholl Sahlins, Steve Scott, Leslie Shook and Richard Turner.

For more information, visit seasonofconcern.org or call (312) 332-0518. For the latest updates, follow Season of Concern on social media: Facebook.com/SeasonofConcern, Twitter.com/SeasonofConcern or Instagram.com/SeasonofConcern. 

Biographies

María Irene Fornés (playwright) was born on May 14, 1930, in Havana, Cuba, to Carlos Luis and Carmen Hismenia Fornés. After her father died in 1945, she moved with her mother and sister to the United States, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1951. From 1954 to 1957, Fornés lived in Paris, studying to become a painter. However, after attending a French production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Fornés decided to devote her creative energies toward playwriting. Upon returning to the United States, she worked for three years as a textile designer in New York City. The Widow, Fornés' first professionally produced play, was staged in 1961. Fornés acted as the director for many of her subsequent works, including There! You Died (1963; later retitled Tango Place, 1964), The Successful Life of 3: A Skit in Vaudeville (1965), and Molly’s Dream (1968), among others. In 1973 she founded the New York Theatre Strategy, which was devoted to the production of stylistically innovative theatrical works. Fornés has held teaching and advisory positions at several universities and theatrical festivals, such as the Theatre for the New City, the Padua Hills Festival, and the INTAR (International Arts Relations) program in New York City. She received eight Obie awards — in such categories as distinguished playwriting and direction and best new play — for Promenade (1965), The Successful Life of 3, Fefu and Her Friends, The Danube (1982), Mud, Sarita (1984), The Conduct of Life and Abingdon Square (1987). Fornés received numerous other awards and grants for her oeuvre, including Rockefeller Foundation Grants in 1971 and 1984, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1972, National Endowments for the Arts grants in 1974, 1984, and 1985, an American Academy and Institute of Letters and Arts Award in Literature in 1986, and a Playwrights U.S.A. Award in 1986. She also produced several original translations and adaptations of such plays as Federico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding (1980), Pedro Calderón de la Barca's Life is a Dream (1981), Virgilio Piñera's Cold Air (1985), and Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (1987). She died in New York City on October 30, 2018.

Charin Alvarez (Christina) performed in I am Not Your Perfect Mexican daughter; La Ruta; Infidel; Ordinary Yearning; Fermi at Steppenwolf Theatre. Lettie; Mojada; Oedipus El Rey; Anna in the Tropics; A Park in the House at Victory Gardens Theater. Pedro Paramo; El Nogalar; Dollhouse and Electricidad at Goodman Theatre.  In the time of the Butterflies; Our Lady of the Underpass; I put the fear of Mexico in 'em; Dreamlandia; Another Part of the House at Teatro Vista. Alvarez has also appeared at Chicago Dramatist Theatre; Remy Bumppo Theatre; About Face Theatre; 16th Street Theatre; Chicago Children's Theatre and others. Film/TV credits include: Easy; Shameless; Chicago Fire; Mob Doctor; Boss; Chicago Code; Approach Alone; Rooftop Wars; Arc of a Bird; Were the World Mine and others.

Sandra Delgado (Cecelia) is a Colombian-American writer and actor best known for her smash hit play La Havana Madrid, featured in the New York Times and CNN/CNÑ. Also a respected veteran of the stage, her acting highlights include work at Steppenwolf and The Goodman Theatre in Chicago and The Public Theatre in New York. She is a member of Collaboraction and Teatro Vista and is one of the twenty iconic women of Chicago arts and culture honored in Kerry James Marshall's mural Rushmore on the facade of the Chicago Cultural Center. She is currently writing The Boys and the Nuns, centering on the fight for LGBTQ and women's rights in 1980s Chicago. sandradelgado.net

Mary Beth Fisher (Co-Producer) has worked as an actor, director, acting teacher and coach in Chicago, NYC, and in theaters all over the country. Her TV/film credits include Saint Frances, Sense8, Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice, Without a Trace, Numb3rs; Prison Break, NYPD Blue; Profiler and others. Fisher has received two Joseph Jefferson Awards, Drama Desk, Lucile Lortel and Bay Area Critics Circle nominations, the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award and Chicago’s Leading Lady Award from the Sarah Siddons Society. She was a Beinecke Fellow at Yale University and an Inaugural Lunt-Fontanne Fellow at the Ten Chimney’s Foundation. She has been a proud member of AEA since 1978.

Anne García-Romero (Dramaturg) is the author of plays including Lorca in New York, Staging the Daffy Dame, Provenance, Paloma, Mary Domingo, Juanita’s Statue, Earthquake Chica and Santa Concepción. Her plays have been developed and produced most notably at the Public Theatre, Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, Goodman Theatre, Denver Center Theater, and South Coast Repertory. Her book, “The Fornés Frame: Contemporary Latina Playwrights and the Legacy of Maria Irene Fornés” (University of Arizona, 2016), explores the work of six award-winning Latina playwrights. She’s a founding member of the Fornés Institute and an Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Notre Dame. annegarciaromero.com

Ora Jones (Fefu) is a member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. At Steppenwolf: The Children; Familiar; The Roommate; The Doppleganger; Wheel; Middletown; The Brother/Sister Plays; Three Sisters; The Unmentionables; The Violet Hour; Carter’s Way; and Morning Star. Locally she has also appeared on the stages of Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Goodman Theatre; Rivendell Theatre; Timeline Theatre; Writers Theatre; About Face Theatre and others. Her Broadway roles include Madame de Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Booth, and Mrs. Phelps in Matilda the Musical, both at the Shubert and in the first national tour. Regional and other New York credits include performances at Long Wharf Theatre, Yale Repertory, Manhattan Theatre Club, Public Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory, Next Act, and a particular favorite, the role of Mrs. Muller in Doubt for The Weston Playhouse in Weston, VT, directed by Malcolm Ewen.

Delia Kropp (Cindy) has enjoyed storytelling at LGBT events, and for Fresh Meat. She's worked over 40 years as a actor and stage director, and since gender transitioning she's been an advocate for trans people in the entertainment industry. Delia serves as Artistic Associate and Board Member of About Face Theatre Company, and her new initiative "Brave Conversations" looks at the significance of personal identity, and ways to constructively talk about gender. She stars in the film Landlocked, debuting on the Indy festival circuit in 2021.

Sadieh Rifai (Emma) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre. At A Red Orchid: Do You Feel Anger; An Evening at The Talk House; and Grey House. Her credits include, Short Shakes Macbeth, the world premiere of The Humans (Jeff Award nomination for Best Ensemble) at American Theatre Company. Other Chicago credits include Support Group for Men and A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theatre. Film credits include The Wise Kids, Nate and Margaret and Olympia. TV credits include Chicago Med, Netflix’s Easy, CBS’s The Red Line and Amazon's Patriot in which she plays the recurring role of Mahtma El-Mashad. Sadieh is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and received the Princess Grace Award in 2011.

Stacy Stoltz (Director) is so happy for this opportunity to share her favorite play and to help raise funds for Season of Concern. Last fall, she directed a reading of Fefu and her Friends for The Fornes Festival at The University of Notre Dame. With Erasing The Distance, she has created, directed and performed documentary plays including her solo show, Walk a Mile. Acting credits include: Hatfield and McCoy (The House Theatre), Stupid Fucking Bird (Sideshow Theatre), Marjorie Prime and A Streetcar Named Desire (Writers Theatre).

Lisa Tejero (Julia) most recently opened then was furloughed in an all-female production of Henry the 6th titled Bring down the House at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, where she last performed in White Snake. Other credits include The Agitators at Upstream Theatre, Metamorphoses in the Broadway production at Circle in the Square Theatre, and Anything Goes at Arena State. She is an artistic associate of Lookingglass Theatre where she has appeared in 1984, Argonautika, Curiosity Shop, Ethan Frome, Fedra, and S/M. She has also appeared on the stages of Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Iowa Repertory Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Court Theatre, Victory Gardens and many others. Tejero is a recipient of two After Dark Awards, a Drama League Distinguished Performance nomination and a Jeff award nomination for her portrayal of Vivian Bearing in The Hypocrite’s production of Wit.

Janet Ulrich Brooks (Sue) has performed at Chicago’s TimeLine Theatre (Company Member), Goodman, Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Victory Gardens, Northtlight, Drury Lane, Theatre at the Center and others. She received the Joseph Jefferson award for principal role as Maria Callas in TimeLine’s production of Master Class. Television: Fargo S4 (FX), Sense8 (Netflix), Proven Innocent (FoxTV), Boss (STARZ) & NBC’s Playboy Club & Chicago Fire/Med/Justice. Film: Divergent, Conviction, M.O.M., One Small Hitch, Fools, Polish Bar, Market Value and several shorts.

Penelope Walker (Paula) performed in A Christmas Carol, The Story, Crowns and Wit at Goodman Theatre, Don DeLillo's Love Lies Bleeding at Steppenwolf Theatre and at The Kennedy Center, Mother Of The Maid, Into The Breeches, Curve Of Departure, Eclipsed and Gee's Bend at Northlight Theatre, and The House That Will Not Stand and No One As Nasty at Victory Gardens Theatre. Walker has also appeared on many other Chicago area stages including Lookingglass Theatre, Theater Wit, Remy Bumppo Theatre, American Theater, Chicago Dramatists, Next Theatre, Rivendell Theatre and Chicago Theatre Company, among others. Walker also created and starred in her own solo piece, How I Jack Master Funked the Sugar in My Knee Caps! She has appeared regionally with Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage and Alley Theatre.

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