Erica Daniels News

Definition Theatre has revealed the finalists of the Amplify Series Three New Play Commissioning Program. 

In Chicago, over 100 members of the theatre community gathered at the Victory Gardens Theater to protest. Before the protest began, artists transformed the theater's boarded up windows into billboards.

Victory Gardens Theater outgoing Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Artistic Erica Daniels announce a free seminar series taught by Chicago artists and local arts leaders designed to aid those whose ability to work has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics cover virtual auditions, creating a home-recording studio, and how to handle income and taxes during this time.

Victory Gardens Theater outgoing Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Artistic Erica Daniels announce the lineup for the 2020 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including Black Like Me by Monty Cole, North Star by Georgette Kelly, Last Hermanos by Exal Iraheta, and Pivot by Alex Lubischer. The annual festival of new plays, now online for Summer 2020, will run from mid-June to mid-July with free readings of four new plays from Chicago playwrights on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm. Each reading will be followed by a a?oeCoffee with the Creatorsa?? chat at noon the following day.

Victory Gardens Theater has announced Your World Off Stage, an online conversation series with artists from the upcoming 2020/2021 season and members of the VG Playwrights Ensemble.

The Victory Gardens Theater Board of Directors today announced a new management design for the 46 year-old institution. When Artistic Director Chay Yew departs at the end of June, Victory Gardens will adjust its executive structure to include the newly-created positions of Executive Artistic Director and more.

Today, we're checking in with Victory Gardens Theater, with Erica Daniels, Executive Director.

Victory Gardens Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Executive Director Erica Daniels, announces the lineup for its 2020a?"2021 Season. Victory Gardens' 46th Season will include the Chicago premiere of Poor Yella Rednecks by Qui Nguyen; the world premiere of In Every Generation by Ali Viterbi; the acclaimed Chicago play Exit Strategy by Ike Holter; the Chicago premiere of cullud wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza, and the Chicago premiere of Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery.

Eclipse Theatre Company announces the recipient of 2020's Eleventh Annual Corona Award: Mary Ann Thebus and Michael and Mona Heath. The Corona Award honors individuals and organizations which play an important role in supporting and nurturing the growth of the Chicago theatre community as well as small- to medium-sized theatres like Eclipse Theatre.

The Victory Gardens Theater Board of Directors and Artistic Director Chay Yew today announce plans for Yew's departure from Victory Gardens at the end of the 2019-20 Season. An internationally renowned stage director and playwright, Yew has been the Artistic Director of Victory Gardens since July 2011. Yew will finish his ninth and final season through June 2020, and will pursue personal projects upon leaving the theater.

Victory Gardens Theater under the direction of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Executive Director Erica Daniels, announces casting for its upcoming productions of Tiny Beautiful Things based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted by Nia Vardalos, directed by Vanessa Stalling, The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, and How to Defend Yourself by liliana padilla, directed by Marti Lyons.

Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Director Erica Daniels and Director of New Play Development Skyler Gray announce the lineup for the 11th Anniversary IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including The Tasters by Meghan Brown; The Gradient by Steph Del Rosso; [hieroglyph] by Erika Dickerson-Despenza; #NEWSLAVES by Keelay Gipson; Reckoning: Furies from a New Queer Nation by Geraldine Inoa; and They Could Give No Name by Exal Iraheta. The 2019 Festival runs August 2 -4, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew, Executive Director Erica Daniels and Director of New Play Development Skyler Gray announce the lineup for the 2019 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, including The Tasters by Meghan Brown; The Gradient by Steph Del Rosso; [hieroglyph] by Erika Dickerson-Despenza; #NEWSLAVES by Keelay Gipson; Reckoning: Furies from a New Queer Nation by Geraldine Inoa; and They Could Give No Name by Exal Iraheta. The 2019 Festival runs August 2 -4, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Executive Director Erica Daniels, announces the lineup for its 2019-2020 Season. Victory Gardens' 45th Season will include the Chicago premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things by Nia Vardalos; the world premiere of The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II; the co-world premiere of How to Defend Yourself by Lily Padilla; and the world premiere of Dhaba on Devon Avenue by Madhuri Shekar; and the Chicago premiere of Right to Be Forgotten by Sharyn Rothstein.

Al Heartley has been named managing director of the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts by the School of Communication at Northwestern University. Heartley comes to Northwestern from the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Conn., where he served as director of development.

Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels announce an addition to the 2018-2019 Victory Gardens season the Chicago Premiere of If I Forget, written by Steven Levenson and directed by Devon de Mayo. If I Forget runs June 7 July 7, 2019, with the press performance on Friday, June 14, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater announces Tanuja Jagernauth as the 2019 Marcelle McVay Management Fellow for 2019. Victory Gardens Next Generation Fellowships provide comprehensive mentorship, requisite training, and experience for these future leaders of color, preparing them to helm arts institutions or departments on the national and local level. The 2019 Macelle McVay Management Fellowship is made possible by support from the Weiss Grosshandler Charitable Fund.

Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, To Receive 2019 Corona Award, Monday, January 28, Hosted by Steve Scott

Victory Gardens Theater, with Actors Theatre of Louisville, to present the Co-World Premiere of How to Defend Yourself, written by Lily Padilla and directed by Marti Lyons. How to Defend Yourself will be presented at the 2019 Humana Festival of New American Plays (March 21 - April 7, 2019) and as part of the Victory Gardens Theater 2019/2020 Season (January 24 - February 23, 2020).