About Face Theatre News

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 40 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2020 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 15 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

16th Street Theater announces the rolling world premiere of Audrey Cefaly's ALABASTER directed by Ann Filmer performing January 30 a?" March 1, 2020 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn. Press opening is Thursday, February 6 at 7:30 PM. 

Midsommer Flight has announced the five theater professionals who will participate in the inaugural session of the company's new 'Directors Flight' initiative. Announced in fall 2019, Directors Flight is a program with the goal of promoting, cultivating, and inspiring classical directing talent in Chicago. The announcement last fall included a call for applications to participate. Instead of a tuition-based model, Midsommer Flight has opted to pay each selected director a small fellowship stipend for their participation.

On a muggy summer evening somewhere down in the Alabama Delta, Kendra and Betty troll the flats looking for redfish. Six years into their relationship, tensions and passions flare as the couple clash over past infidelities, life-choices, and job struggles. When their motor breaks, stranding them in open water under darkening skies, the couple are forced to grapple with the growing space between them and where their life together will go next. 

Pride Films and Plays will present its second annual cabaret celebrating the queer community in Chicago and bringing more visibility to the female/non-binary who love women. Thirty performers will sing music from genres including pop, musical theatre, cabaret, classical, and original works. Performers will also accompany the singers on piano, guitar, ukulele, cello, and other instruments. The complete program will be performed twice -  Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26. Emi Lee Frantz, director and music director for LezSing, announced the lineup of singers today.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core, presents the world premiere of The Tasters by Meghan Brown, directed by RTE member Devon de Mayo. The Tasters runs January 10 a?" February 16, 2020 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.  The press opening is Monday, January 20 at 7:00pm

Lookingglass Theatre Company welcomes five new Ensemble Members and four new Artistic Associates into the Lookingglass family. Joining the Ensemble are Walter Briggs (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Moby Dick), Kasey Foster (The Steadfast Tin Soldier, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas), circus choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi (The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein), Anthony Irons (The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Act(s) of God), and composer and sound designer Andre Pluess (The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Eastland). New Artistic Associates include Cordelia Dewdney (Moby Dick, Hard Times), Wendy Mateo (Big Lake Big City, Beyond Caring), costume designer Sully Ratke (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas) and Matthew C. Yee (Treasure Island, Moby Dick).

About Face Theatre continues its 2019-2020 season with the Chicago premiere of Audrey Cefaly's award-winning drama THE GULF, running January 9 through February 15, 2020, at Theater Wit. THE GULF is a riveting look at how partners in a long-term relationship change over time, and what it takes to keep love alive. Directed by About Face Artistic Director Megan Carney, the production will feature AFT Artistic Associate Kelli Simpkins and Deanna Myers. Press opening is Friday, January 17 at 7:30 pm.

The Chicago-based Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (the Foundation)-an organization that offers unrestricted grants to Chicago theatre companies with budgets under $1 million-recently surveyed its small theatre grantees to reveal the large impact they make in Chicago. A total of 41 of Chicago's approximately 250 theatres participated in the Foundation's survey, representing a significant percentage of the city's storefront theatres.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation affiliated with Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), has announced the winner and three finalists for the annual Zelda Fichandler Award. The award will be presented at an invitation-only event on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 in New York City. The Fichandler Award recognizes directors and choreographers who have demonstrated great accomplishment to-date with singular creativity and deep investment in a particular community or region, and is named for Zelda Fichandler, the founding artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. This year's Fichandler Award focused on directors and choreographers from the central region of the United States.

After charming audiences last winter, Strawdog Theatre Company's holiday hit HERSHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS returns December 7 a?" 29, 2019

About Face Theatre's 2019-20 season will feature three hyper-intimate main stage productions that reveal the history and diversity of the LGBTQ community in new ways. The season will feature three Chicago-premiere productions, a new initiative from About Face's groundbreaking Youth Task Force, and a regional touring production designed to spark dialogue about gender and sexuality.

Random Acts presents SCARY STORIES: ARE YOU AFRAID?, featuring ten world premiere tales by some of the country's most exciting playwrights. Performances take place at Otherworld Theatre (3914 N. Clark).

Tony Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Denis O'Hare will star in Eric Rosen's film NETUSER, about Peter Sardovski, an activist whose life unravels when a nightmare about political violence turns true. Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominee Claybourne Elder plays his husband who struggles to prevent Peter's compulsion from endangering their young son. Two time Tony Award nominee Johanna Day will play his sister-in-law, a NYPD detective who struggles to shield her brother's family from danger.  The film also features Tatiana Wechsler as Peter's editor Jenny. 

Eleven world premiere plays and musicals seen first by Chicago audiences were among those receiving nominations by the Jeff Awards, announced today. A total of 192 nominations were made in 34 categories that honor Chicago Equity theatrical productions that opened between August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019. During the 2018-19 season, Jeff Awards judges attended opening nights of 132 Equity productions offered by 43 producing organizations and from these openings, 112 productions were a?oeJeff Recommendeda?? and eligible for award nominations.

Claybourne Elder, Eric Rosen, Bryce Pinkham join forces with other BROADWAY DADDIES to give a benefit concert at 54 Below, delighting audiences of all ages.

About Face Theatre announces the addition of five new artists to the company's roster of Artistic Associates. Along with Artistic Director Megan Carney, the Artistic Associates represent the company's core artistic community whose creative focus helps shape About Face Theatre's theatrical productions and outreach.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces today the cast and creative team for the North American Premiere production of The King's Speech, beginning September 12 in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Writer David Seidler brings the remarkable true story that inspired the Academy Award-winning film back to the stage in a new production of the play, directed by Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner Michael Wilson. Following the play's North American premiere in Chicago, the production is slated for engagements at other theaters across the country.

Iris Sowlat and Allison Fradkin, in collaboration with Otherworld Theatre Company, present Violet Surprise, a festival of femslash fanfiction parodies.

First Floor Theater announces their eighth season, featuring one world premiere and two Chicago premieres.First Floor Theater announce their eighth season, featuring one world premiere and two Chicago premieres.