American Blues Presents A Reading Of ON THE GREENBELT By Karissa Murrell Myers

American by Karissa Murrell Myers Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents a live, online reading of On the Greenbelt by Karissa Murrell Myers, directed by Andrew Coopman, as part of "The Room" series.

The play, a semi-finalist of the 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award, will be live on Friday, April 30 at 7pm. The reading will be followed by a group discussion with the playwright and director.

"The Room" is a new reading series that brings original work, plays in development, and new stories to Chicago audiences. Offering in-depth discussions as well as action steps for patrons that intersect with themes of the plays, "The Room" will run via Zoom monthly for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic with the intent to transition into an in-person experience in the future.

Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $10, and are currently on sale at www.AmericanBluesTheater.com or (773) 654-3101. Ticket holders will be sent a pre-reading email complete with instructions on joining the virtual reading via Zoom. Tickets are available until Friday, April 30 at 3:00pm.

Jules saw something in the Idaho hospital the night her mom died, but she'll never say what it was. Not to her ex, Olivia, and especially not to her brother, Jake, who keeps trying to convince her to go with him to the Greenbelt to spread their mom's ashes with their father, Alan. But try as she might, Jules can't shake the memories of the past that haunt her like a gin-soaked hangover as the day unravels the past events surrounding her mother's death come to light. A serio-comic play that jumps between past and present, On the Greenbelt, explores family, love, memory, and the question of "how do we process grief?".

Content warning: physical violence, murder, substance abuse.

The cast includes: Karin Terry (Jules), Peter Sipla (Jake), Jazmin Corona (Lydia), Ensemble Member Philip Earl Johnson (Alan), Isa Arciniegas (Olivia), Jessica Ervin (Mallory), and Artistic Affiliate Grace Smith (stage directions). Actor bios are available here.