TEN (+5) to Kick Off The Gift Theatre's 2016 Season

TEN, The Gift Theatre's annual season kickoff celebration of ten 10-minute plays curated by artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario, returns this year as TEN (+5) to honor the 15 year anniversary, January 1-10, 2016. This year's incarnation of the annual show will feature 10 world premiere pieces + 5 additional theatrical treats by The Gift and guests.

Tickets to TEN (+5) are free for all at thegifttheatre.org, however subscribers have the first opportunity to reserve. Advance reservations are recommended at 773-283-7071.

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2016's TEN (+5) plays include:

LAST STOP

By Gift ensemble member Jenny Davis

Directed by Brian Balcom

Featuring David Roth, Aila Peck, Julia Kessler, Hilary Hensler, Bill McGough and Gift ensemble member Brendan Donaldson

SITAYANA

By Lavina Jadhwaani

Directed by Elizabeth Margolius

Featuring Adithi Chandrashekar

MARE COGNITUM

By Jennifer Rumberger

Directed by Chika Ike

Featuring Tyler Meredith and Jack Bronis

SIGNS

By Gift ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton

Directed by Gift ensemble member Darci Nalepa

Featuring Robert Schleiffer and Havalah Grace

giftED

By Gift ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton

Directed by Gift ensemble member Jay Worthington

Featuring Owen O'Malley, Jacapo DeMarinis and Symone Rodriguez

AUSTIN, TEXAS

By Gift ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker

Directed by Keira Fromm

Featuring Timothy Hull

FILMMAKER

By Gift ensemble member Ed Flynn

Directed by Sommer Austin

Featuring Anu Bhat

A LONG, ARDUOUS JOURNEY

By Jaqueline Lawton

Directed by Kristen Johnson

Featuring Stephanie Diaz

STAY WOKE

By Ike Holter

Directed by Samuel Roberson

Featuring Rob Howard and Tricia Rodriguez

FURCHER VS. THE DARK

By Gift ensemble member Will Eno

Directed by Gift ensemble member Erica Weiss

Featuring Linsey Page Morton and Boyd Harris

THE STRETCH

By Tracy Letts

Directed by Gift ensemble member Marti Lyons

Featuring Sherman Edwards and Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch and Michael Patrick Thornton

And performances by Natural Gas and giftLit

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TEN (+5) runs January 1-10, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with additional matinees on Saturday and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue.

The 2016 Season begins in January with TEN (+5), The Gift's annual kickoff celebration of ten-minute plays curated by artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario. Following Shakespeare's Richard III (March 3-May 1), director and ensemble member Erica Weiss (Vigils) returns for The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, adapted by Frank Galati (June 16- August 14). The season closes with the world premiere of Melissa Ross' haunting and heartfelt mystery A Life Extra Ordinary (September 29- November 20) directed by ensemble member John Gawlik (Good for Otto). Subscriptions for the entire 2016 season are available for as little as $75. The Gift subscribers ("Gifters") receive admission to three shows, free parking at Gale Street Inn, free admission to all Wednesday night "Natural Gas" improv shows and invitations to special subscriber-only special events. Subscribe at thegifttheatre.org or call 773-283-7071.

The Gift Theatre is conveniently located at 4802 N. Milwaukee in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood, and is easily accessible by the CTA Blue Line, the Lawrence and Milwaukee Avenue buses and the Kennedy Expressway. For more information about The Gift Theatre's productions and programs, visit thegifttheatre.org.