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Roger Ellis

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Roger Ellis BIO

ROGER ELLIS is a director-producer who cultivates new interdisciplinary work that explores identity and post-traumatic growth. Selected credits: Nikki Lynette's GET OUT ALIVE at Steppenwolf Theatre LookOut Series (Director/Choreographer, Steppenwolf Theatre LookOut Series); THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME (Movement Director, Horizon Theatre Company/Aurora Theatre); FUN HOME (Director/Choreographer, Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts); THOU SHALT NOT (Director, Gallery Players - Brooklyn); JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Dramaturge, Paramount Theatre); PARADE (Director, Marymount Manhattan College); A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and LaChiusa’s THE WILD PARTY (Director, Pace University); CHICAGO (Assistant Director, Sacramento Music Circus); MAVERICK (Associate Director/Choreographer, NY Workshop); The Light in the Piazza (Movement, Associate Director). MFA Musical Theatre (San Diego State University). SDC (Associate), AEA Member.

Roger Ellis News


Shereen Pimentel, Darius Jordan Lee & More Join 34th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS


National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced additional casting for their 34th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which returns in person and takes place on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21, 2022 at New World Stages.

National Alliance For Musical Theatre Announces Initial Casting and Additional Programming For FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS


National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced preliminary casting and additional programming for their 34th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which returns in person and takes place on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21, 2022, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).

NAMT's 34th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS Announces Directors and Music Directors


National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced this year's directors and music directors for the 34th Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which returns in person and takes place on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21, 2022, at New World Stages.

Review: GET OUT ALIVE at Haven Chicago


What did our critic think of GET OUT ALIVE at Haven Chicago? Lynette is not afraid to share the vivid, traumatic details of her life with the audience, including her suicide attempt. While I don’t usually provide content warnings for any theater, the way Lynette recounts some of her past experiences is so raw and so detailed that it feels dangerous. I’m all for theater that presents audiences with the opportunity to become uncomfortable and ask questions, but Lynette pushes the limit. Ultimately, it’s clear that the process of writing and performing GET OUT ALIVE was an invigorating experience for Lynette.

Photos: First Look at Haven's GET OUT ALIVE at The Den Theatre


See first look photos of Nikki Lynette’s multidisciplinary afrogoth musical Get Out Alive, co-directed by Roger Ellis and Lucky Stiff, which features the writer and her personal journey with mental health.

Haven to Present Nikki Lynette's GET OUT ALIVE


Haven will continue its 2021-22 season with Nikki Lynette’s multidisciplinary afrogoth musical Get Out Alive, co-directed by Roger Ellis and Lucky Stiff, which features the writer and her personal journey with mental health.

Haven to Present Nikki Lynette's GET OUT ALIVE at The Den Theatre


Haven will continue its 2021-22 season with Nikki Lynette’s multidisciplinary afrogoth musical Get Out Alive, co-directed by Roger Ellis and Lucky Stiff, which features the writer and her personal journey with mental health.

Haven Announces 2021-22 Season at The Den Theatre


Haven has announced its 2021-22 Season, new mission statement and select special programs. The season kicks off this fall with the second annual Rocky Horror Picture Show directed by Haven’s Artistic Director Ian Damont Martin, featuring a screening of the cult-classic film alongside shadowcast performances by some of Chicago favorite actors.

American Music Theatre Project Breaks Virtual Ground With [re:CLICK] 2.0


American Music Theatre Project's experimental web-based production allows audiences to pick an avatar and the version of the show they want to 'play.'.

American Music Theatre Project Announces Final Productions in 15th Anniversary Season


American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University announces the remainder of the 2020-2021 season. The 15th anniversary season concludes with the development of three new music theatre works and the first Capstone Festival featuring works created by senior music theatre students at Northwestern's School of Communication.

School Of Communication To Host Artist-in-Residence Michael R. Jackson


The School of Communication at Northwestern University will host a virtual residency with Hope Abelson Artist-in-Residence Michael R. Jackson Feb. 15 to March 5. During the residency, Jackson will visit classes, lead workshops for performers, dramatists, composers and lyricists and participate in a free livestream panel discussion at 7 p.m. CST, Thursday, Feb. 25.

UC Davis and Northwestern University Present [re: CLICK], a Digital Drama About Identity Challenges


'[re: CLICK],' an innovative contemporary drama spotlighting five students who struggle with their identity in the digital age, marks a new collaboration between the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance and the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University.

Northwestern Will Honor Legacy of Music Theatre Alum Kelsey Pharr, Jr.


Northwestern Universitya??s School of Communication has announced the creation of the Kelsey Pharr, Jr. Speaker Series for the 2020-2021 academic year. The series will feature three artists of color working in the Chicago music theatre scene.

Wirtz Center Announces Online Subscription Package for Fall


Northwestern's Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts today announced its fall 2020 lineup of virtual offerings. The three-play series includes a reading of Alice Childress's civil rights era drama 'Wine in the Wilderness,' an experimental adaptation of 'Antigone' and an evening of student-created multidisciplinary works.

Black Female Suicide Survivor Brings Her Story To Steppenwolf's Lookout Series With GET OUT ALIVE


Get Out Alive to debut as part of Steppenwolf's winter LookOut Series. Written & performed by independent artist Nikki Lynette; Directed by Roger Ellis, credits from across the United States, including NYC premiere of Laura Pittenger's Thou Shalt Not.

The Wirtz Center Presents The Tony Award-Winning Musical FUN HOME


With a soaring score and deftly constructed book, a?oeFun Homea?? explores identity, parental presence and absence from the quirky confines of a family funeral parlor.

Steppenwolf's LOOKOUT Series 2019/20 Features Dance World Premieres And More


Steppenwolf's LookOut Series is pleased to announce their Fall/Winter 2019/20 lineup. This eclectic season showcases exciting work from many Chicago-based artists and companies working across disciplines. Step out of the cold and into Front Bar for a drink to warm you up, then head into Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre for an unforgettable evening of performance. Since its inception, the LookOut series has featured the work of more than 1,000 artists from across Chicago and beyond in more than 350 performances.

The Horizon Theatre Announces THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME


Horizon Theatre Company is continuing its outstanding 35th Anniversary Season with one of the most critically acclaimed plays of the past decade, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Winner of 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards including 'Best Play,' the show brings Mark Haddon's beloved best-selling novel to thrilling life on stage, adapted by two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens.  Horizon Theatre Company's Atlanta premiere starts performances September 20, 2019 (Press Opening September 27, 2019) and runs until October 27, 2019 at Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points/Inman Park (1083 Austin Avenue N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307)  Atlanta. This show is a co-production between Horizon Theatre Company and Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, Georgia. This production will move to Aurora for a run from January 9 through February 9, 2020. The play is sponsored in part by The Marcus Autism Center, a subsidiary of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and Osiason Educational Foundation.

American Music Theatre Project 2018-2019 Season Continues With Workshop Performances, A Songwriters' Showcase And More


The American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University's School of Communication will present workshop performances of three new music theater works as the 2018-2019 season continues.

Nadia Quinn, Alice Ripley, JOSEPH, and More Come to Feinstein's/54 Below


Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

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