Jackalope Theatre's World Premiere of PRETTY SHAHID Has Been Canceled

Jackalope Theatre Company has announced it has canceled their world premiere production of Pretty Shahid, scheduled for June 16 - July 23, written by company member Omer Abbas Salem, directed by Sophiyaa Nayar, with associate direction by company member Nadya Naumaan. Ticket holders for Pretty Shahid will be contacted with refund options.

“Pretty Shahid experienced multiple issues with production that brought it to a halt. Although we have been assured that our summer programming will not be impacted at the Broadway Armory, Jackalope has made the difficult decision to cancel the show,”  said Jackalope’s Board of Directors and leadership. ”It has been our greatest honor and pleasure to have served a role in developing this critical new work. We are proud of this play and its team but we will no longer be the home for its world premiere. Assured by the strength of our relationship as a long-term partner at the Armory, Jackalope is working with the Chicago Park District and the city of Chicago to explore our options moving forward for the company.”

Pretty Shahid shares the story of the Kazem family who immigrated to Chicago from Iraq and are attempting to assimilate and live when 9/11 happens. This romantic comedy uses classic film tropes to examine identity and which knots one chooses to untie to become the ideal American. It is a play about self discovery that was born and developed at Jackalope.

Jackalope continues its partnership and collaboration with the Chicago Park District to provide summer programming at our home in the Broadway Armory Park. For more information, email jackalope@jackalopetheatre.org.

ABOUT JACKALOPE THEATRE

Jackalope Theatre Company, now in its fifteenth season, is committed to cultivating theatre that expands the definition of American identity by engaging with our communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Each season, the company produces full-length plays in Broadway Armory Park, a series of ancillary new play development programming, and free classes in partnership with the Chicago Parks District. All of this is done in the epicenter of the Edgewater community, enhancing the cultural vibrancy of the Thorndale Station corridor.

Jackalope Theatre was founded in the spring of 2008, incorporating and filing for non-profit status that summer and producing their first world premiere production in the fall in Chicago’s West side. In 2012, Jackalope began a long-term residency at Broadway Armory Park and in 2013, Time Out Chicago named Jackalope the best up-and-coming theatre company. In 2014, Jackalope received the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theater Award and the world-premiere production of Ike Holter’s Exit Strategy received four out of four stars from the Chicago Tribune and won Best New Work at the Jeff Awards. Nearly every production since has received award nominations, critical praise and full houses of diverse patrons, solidifying Jackalope as a premier mid-sized venue for high quality theatrical experiences.

Jackalope has been responding to the industry pandemic shutdown with a reduction of productions while prioritizing community response, labor wage equity, new work development, and long-term strategic planning. After relieving their storefront venue, The Frontier, Jackalope expanded their venue in Broadway Armory Park. Season 13 introduced both live and pre-recorded new digital performances under the New Frontier Series program. Season 14 introduced a new outdoor touring show of local stories called “Neighborhood Narratives”. Season 15 marked the return of in-person productions with the fall 2022 hit show Among The Dead.

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