Chicago Artists 21 and Under To Debut New Works at Collaboraction's The Light Youth Theater Fest

See The Light - 16 world premiere short pieces of theater, dance, music and spoken word created by Chicago youth 21 and under - and you'll see what's really on kids' minds these days, growing up in Chicago.

Collaboraction, Chicago's home for social-issue driven contemporary theater, will debut The Light, the company's first annual Chicago youth theater festival, Thursday through Sunday, July 11-14, 2019. Performances are at The Pentagon Theatre at Collaboraction Studios in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

The 16 works are divided into two programs of eight works titled Radiance and Brilliance. Each program is a vital and varied mix of youth-devised theater, dance, music and spoken word. Topics range from colorism, assimilation and growing up in an age of instant gratification, to violence, racism, young love and a celebration of life on Chicago's south side. Tickets for each program range from $15-$30. Festival passes are $45; $22.50 for students, seniors and industry. For tickets and information, visit collaboraction.org, emailthelight@collaboraction.org or call Collaboraction at (312) 226-9633.

?Note: Free tickets are available to Chicago youth 21 and under who make at least one social media post about The Light prior to reserving their tickets and commit to making a second post reflecting on the program after they attend. Connect with @collaboractionacross social channels and use the hashtag #TheLight to access free tickets.