SPOTLIGHT READING SERIES to be Presented at Court Theatre
Events include It’s Nation Time: An Evening of Black Cinema; Kuumba Theatre Archive Unfurling and more.
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Court Theatre will present the Spotlight Reading Series. The Spotlight Reading Series will run from Friday, August 7, through Saturday, August 22, at venues throughout Chicago. Curated by Director of Engagement Kamilah Rashied, this is the tenth anniversary of the program created by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson in 2016
Featuring the most ambitious programming to date, this year’s landmark Spotlight Reading Series is organized around the theme “A Century of Black Progress.” The tenth-anniversary celebration arrives on the heels of the centennial of Black History Month, which began in 1926 as Negro History Week, and looks ahead to the conclusion of August Wilson’s American Century Cycle with Court Theatre’s 2027 production of Joe Turner's Come and Gone.
By weaving together the past, present, and future of Black storytelling through a series of immersive events, the Spotlight Reading Series celebrates the soul of Chicago’s cultural ecosystem and pays tribute to one hundred years of cultural excellence and resilience.
This year's Spotlight Reading Series is comprised of the following events:
Friday, August 7: It’s Nation Time: An Evening of Black Cinema
Sunday, August 9: Kuumba Theatre Archive Unfurling
Wednesday, August 12: Staged Reading of August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned, featuring Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson
Thursday, August 13: A Womanist Trilogy: Hurston, Richards, and Kennedy
Friday, August 14: are you ready to smash white things? by Ireon Roach, a collaboration with Definition Theatre
Saturday, August 15: Praise and Protest Exhibition Tour
Saturday, August 15: Harsh Readers Circle
Wednesday, August 19: Blackstone Book Club
Saturday, August 22: The Chicago Critics Circles
All events are free and open to the public, and reservations are required. Reservations can be made online at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.
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Catch as Catch Can Steppenwolf Theatre Company (6/04-7/12) |
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Disney's The Little Mermaid The Performing Arts Center (7/18-8/02) |
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EWP presents Robbie Fulks & Griffin William Sherry Showcase Raue Center For The Arts (8/07-8/07) |
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Hedwig and the Angry Inch Catalyst Ranch (7/09-7/26) |
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& Juliet The Auditorium (7/22-8/02) |
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The Revolutionists Violet Surprise Theatre (3/07-7/18) |
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R.E.S.P.E.C.T. North Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (7/25-7/25) |
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Lucy's Comedy Raue Center For The Arts (10/09-10/09) |
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Jersey Boys CIBC Theatre (11/11-11/22) |
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Shreya Ghoshal NOW Arena (9/11-9/11) |