Playwrights of Color to Take the Spotlight in 2017 Readings at Court Theatre

Court Theatre, under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert, announces the 2017 lineup for the Spotlight Reading Series, a multi-year community outreach initiative that aims to expose communities beyond Hyde Park to theatre arts, focusing specifically on works from outside of the canon of classic theater.

Now in the second year of a three-year initiative, the Spotlight Reading Series highlights the works of playwrights of color featuring leading Chicago artists. Award-winning director and Court Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson will again host five readings throughout the city. All readings are free and open to the public, though a reservation is recommended. For more information on the Spotlight Reading Series or to obtain tickets, visit www.courttheatre.org.

"Thanks to the Joyce Foundation, I am so excited to begin our second season of Court Theatre's Spotlight Reading Series," said Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. "This year we will again introduce our communities to a variety of "classic" theatre, exploring a variety of cultures that make up the American way. This will represent theatre from the African diasporas."

To actively engage with communities, the 2017 Spotlight Reading Series will host performances at local venues, partnering with various arts organizations which cover the Austin, Bronzeville, Greater Grand Crossing, Pilsen, and South Shore neighborhoods.

The 2017 schedule is as follows:

Who's Got His Own

Written by Ron Milner

Directed by Pemon Rami

eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S South Chicago Avenue

Monday, February 27 at 7 p.m.

A drama about the Bronsons, a black, middle class household in Detroit, forced to confront family secrets after the father has died.

Roosters

Written by Milcha Sanchez-Scott

Directed by Ricardo Gutierrez

National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W 19th Street

Monday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m.

A father-son battle ensues within a Chicano family that raises fighting roosters. Gallo wants to exploit his son Hector's prized rooster, and Hector argues that they should sell the animal and use the proceeds for family needs. Set in the American Southwest, the play blends drama and magical realism.

Buffalo Hair

Written by Carlyle Brown

Directed by Ron OJ Parson

NEIU's Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, 700 E Oakwood Boulevard

Monday, July 10 at 6:30 p.m.

In 1874, the Buffalo Soldiers capture a young warrior called Buffalo Hair, a black man who has chosen to live among the Cheyenne ever since they saved his life. However, the tribal warriors are coming to rescue Buffalo Hair. Now the soldiers must choose whether to stay loyal to the army and fight, or release Buffalo Hair in order to have a chance at saving themselves.

The Electronic Nigger

Written by Ed Bullins

Directed by Cedric Mays

ESO Theater, 5401-5403 W Madison Street

Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 3 p.m.

A.T. Carpentier, a college student in his late thirties, signs up for a creative writing course and continually interrupts the class with his pretentious anecdotes and speeches. Written in 1968, this provocative comedy deals with the danger of rhetoric of any kind.

Trouble in Mind

Written by Alice Childress

Directed by Sydney Chatman

South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S South Shore Drive

Saturday, November 11 at 3 p.m.

Wiletta Mayer, a talented but struggling black actress, gets her breakthrough role and is cast in a "progressive" Broadway play about race; however, it turns out to be anything but progressive, both in terms of its script and rehearsal environment. The play is a satirical look at racism in American commercial theatre.

The Spotlight Reading Series is made possible with support from the Joyce Foundation. The "Spotlight Grant" is designed to help arts and cultural organizations achieve greater racial equity and long-term operating success. Court Theatre was one of ten institutions who received the three-year grant.

Now in its 62nd season, Court Theatre is guided by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Court endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations, adaptations, and classic texts. Court revives lost masterpieces, illuminates familiar texts, and distinguishes fresh, modern classics. Court engages and inspires its audience by providing artistically distinguished productions, audience enrichment activities, and student educational experiences.

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