Halena Kays News

Kicking off the new year, the Joseph Jefferson Awards announced its nominations for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater. See the full list!

Playwright Mara Nelson–Greenberg smartly and incisively takes on the topic of male toxicity to explosive and thought-provoking results.

The West Coast premiere of Do You Feel Anger?, written by Mara Nelson-Greenberg and directed by Halena Kays, opens this weekend for a six-week run at Circle X Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Check out photos from the production here!

Circle X Theatre Company starts off their new season with the west coast premiere of Mara Nelson-Greenberg’s Do You Feel Anger? opening January 21, 2023 at Atwater Village Theatre. Halena Kays directs the cast of Tasha Ames, Charlotte Gulezian, Rich Liccardo, Paula Rebelo, Casey Smith and Napoleon Tavale

Circle X Theatre Company kicks off the New Year with the West Coast premiere of a truly outrageous comedy Do You Feel Anger?, written by Mara Nelson-Greenberg and directed by Halena Kays, opens January 21 for a six-week run at Atwater Village Theatre. Performances continue through February 25, with two Pay-What-You-Can previews set for January 19 and January 20.

Nothing engages the theaterati in Nashville and the surrounding provinces as the production of an eagerly anticipated new play no one’s done before in these parts, but about which we’ve read glowing reviews. The very promise of something new to energize the cultural zeitgeist – particularly under the aegis of Nashville Story Garden (a creative collective whose work always generates major buzz); something new and unseen from across the pond which will provide a showcase for the remarkable talents of some of the region’s most respected actors – is virtually guaranteed to be a “must-see” for a theater-going public more accustomed to titles with which they are already quite often overly familiar.

 The Neo-Futurists announce the first live full-length show since the COVID shutdown. Created by Ensemble Members Ida Cuttler and Nick Hart, WILDCATS is a multimedia drag spectacle exploring themes of loneliness and isolation via the true story of Lucille Ball's disastrous Broadway debut in 1960. Directed by Halena Kays, WILDCATS is jam packed with live stage spectacle, personal narrative, audience interaction and bizarre-o filmed I Love Lucy episode recreations.

PlayMakers Laboratory will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its popular sketch comedy revue That's Weird, Grandma with a free digital special on Thursday, August 5 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. PML will host an in-person viewing party at The Annoyance Theater, 851 W. Belmont Ave. (proof of vaccine required) in Chicago or guests may stream the show on Facebook Live.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced its latest virtual offering, the holiday return of The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard. Written by Jay Torrence and directed by Halena Kays, Burning Bluebeard is available for streaming Friday, Dec. 4 - Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces its 46th season, opening with The Lifespan of a Fact by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, directed by Halena Kays.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2019-2020 season with the World Premiere of How A Boy Falls, written by Steven Dietz and directed by Halena Kays. How A Boy Falls runs January 23 a?" February 29, 2020 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is Friday, January 31, 2020 at 8pm.

Porchlight Music Theatre presents The Ruffians' Burning Bluebeard, making its downtown debut at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, December 13 - 27.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present The Ruffians' Burning Bluebeard, making its downtown debut at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, December 13 – 27. Now in its eighth year, this annual tradition for many is a fantastical tale inspired by Chicago's 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire, written by Jay Torrence and directed by Halena Kays. Previews are Friday, Dec. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. Opening Night is Sunday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. with the performance schedule Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3:30 and 8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 22 at 2 and 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 26 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Friday, Dec 27 at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 and are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2019-2020 season with the World Premiere of How a Boy Falls, written by Steven Dietz and directed by Halena Kays. How a Boy Falls runs January 23 a?" February 29, 2020 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

Neo-Futurist Ida Cuttler teams up with veteran Chicago director and Neo-Futurist Artistic Associate Halena Kays to present the company's next world premiere: An evening's amusement for yourself and friends, consisting of one thousand and one locutions by a young virtuous maiden whose penchant for potboilers and mastery of chicaneries shall teach us all a lesson in the never-ending wiles of women and the astonishing virtue of the gregarious!!!!!! OR: COMFORTABLE SHOES. Cuttler's premiere Prime Time show was part of the Neo-Lab developmental program during the 18/19 season and will see the full production open at The Neo-Futurist Theater on October 7th, 2019. 

Eleven world premiere plays and musicals seen first by Chicago audiences were among those receiving nominations by the Jeff Awards, announced today. A total of 192 nominations were made in 34 categories that honor Chicago Equity theatrical productions that opened between August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019. During the 2018-19 season, Jeff Awards judges attended opening nights of 132 Equity productions offered by 43 producing organizations and from these openings, 112 productions were a?oeJeff Recommendeda?? and eligible for award nominations.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present The Ruffians' Burning Bluebeard, making its downtown debut at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, December 13 – 27.

Northlight Theatre announces casting for its 45th season, opening with Mother of the Maid by Jane Anderson, directed by BJ Jones and featuring Kate Fry (Isabelle Arc), Kareem Bandealy (Jacques Arc), Hayley Burgess (Moniqueus Joan), Ricardo Gutierrez (Father GilbertChamberlainGuardScribe), Casey Morris (Pierre Arc), Grace Smith (Joan Arc) and Penelope Walker (Lady of the Court).

Like a car in a drag race, Steven Dietz's theatrical thriller ON CLOVER ROAD goes from zero to 100 within the first few seconds and doesn't shift down for 85 minutes. The challenge of telling this tale full of twists in such a short time is where do we go once we're at 100? The intensity for the actors and the audience is equal parts thrilling and exhausting. When this car finally comes to a stop, it's hard to determine if there's actually a winner.

American Blues Theater continues its 2018-2019 Season with the Chicago Premiere of the thriller On Clover Road, by Steven Dietzand directed by Halena Kays. On Clover Road runs February 1 - March 16, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago.