Gabriel Franken News

The Gift Theatre will welcome back TEN 2023, the company’s annual festival of ten world premiere ten-minute pieces by The Gift and guest artists, curated by Co-Artistic Directors Brittany Burch, Emjoy Gavino and Jennifer Glasse.

The Gift Theatre is pleased to welcome Jennifer Glasse as its newest Ensemble member. Glasse has appeared in The Gift's world premieres of Hang Man and A Life Extra Ordinary. 

During last night's Season Release Bash at Old Irving Brewery Co., artistic director and co-founder Michael Patrick Thornton proudly announced The Gift Theatre's 2018 season will include: Stacy Amma Osei-Kuffour's world premiere of Hang Man, directed by ensemble member Erica Weiss (February 9-April 8); Shakespeare's Hamlet, directed by Monty Cole (June 1-July 29); and the Midwest premiere of Tony Award-winning playwright and ensemble member David Rabe's Cosmologies, directed by Thornton (October 12-December 9).

The Gift Theatre's artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton, co-founder William Nedved and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario have announced Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe has joined the ensemble.

The Gift Theatre's artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton, co-founder William Nedved and associate artistic director Paul D'Addario are proud to announce nine artists have joined the company ensemble: playwrights Will Eno and Laura Marks; directors Marti Lyons and Erica Weiss; and actors Cyd Blakewell, Darci Nalepa, Keith Neagle, Mary Ann Thebus, and Kyle Zornes. Conceived in 1997 by Michael Patrick Thornton and William Nedved, The Gift's mission was to grow and nurture an ensemble while laying roots in an artistically underserved Chicago neighborhood. Today, The Gift Theatre thrives in Jefferson Park as Chicago's most intimate Equity theater and is home to a nationally respected acting ensemble.

The Gift Theatre artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton presents the World Premiere of Body & Blood, the smart, exhilarating new play by Gift Co-Founder and playwright William Nedved, directed by Marti Lyons, who recently directed Thornton in Lookingglass' Title and Deed. Body & Blood features The Gift ensemble members Lynda Newton (The Royal Society of Antarctica) and Gabriel Franken (Thinner Than Water) with guest artists Cyd Blakewell (Griffin Theatre Company's Balm in Gilead), Stephen Spencer (Remy Bumppo's Our Class) and Nicholas Harazin (Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Macbeth). Body & Blood runs tonight, June 11 - August 9 at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Press opening is Monday, June 15 at 7:30pm.

The Gift Theatre artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the cast for the World Premiere of Body & Blood, the smart, exhilarating new play by Gift Co-Founder and playwright William Nedved, directed by Marti Lyons, who recently directed Thornton in Lookingglass' Title and Deed. Body & Blood features The Gift ensemble members Lynda Newton (The Royal Society of Antarctica) and Gabriel Franken (Thinner Than Water) with guest artists Cyd Blakewell (Griffin Theatre Company's Balm in Gilead), Stephen Spencer (Remy Bumppo's Our Class) and Nicholas Harazin (Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Macbeth). Body & Blood runs June 11 - August 9 at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Press opening is Monday, June 15 at 7:30pm.

Duplicity Ensemble's inaugural season is coming to a close with Anne Walaszek's Lamp Oil at the 2014 Chicago Fringe Festival, today, August 28-September 6.

The Gift Theatre's contemporary production of Othello, starring Kareem Bandealy as Othello and artistic director and ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton as villainous Iago, began previews on July 10. Directed by Jonathan Berry (Dirty), this marks The Gift Theatre's first Shakespeare production ever mounted in its intimate 40-seat theater and Berry's Shakespearean directorial debut. Othello runs tonight, July 17-August 24 at The Gif.

The Gift Theatre's contemporary production of Othello, starring Kareem Bandealy as Othello and artistic director and ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton as villainous Iago, begins previews this Thursday, July 10. Directed by Jonathan Berry (Dirty), this marks The Gift Theatre's first Shakespeare production ever mounted in its intimate 40-seat theater and Berry's Shakespearean directorial debut. Othello runs July 17-August 24 at The Gift, www.thegifttheatre.org

During last night's Season Release Bash at Fischman Liquors and Tavern, artistic director and co-founder Michael Patrick Thornton proudly announced The Gift Theatre's 2015 season of three world premieres. The all-new season will include the debuts of David Rabe's expanded Good For Otto, Gift Ensemble member William Nedved's Body and Blood and Naperville native Mat Smart's The Royal Society of Antarctica.

The Gift Theatre Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the Chicago premiere of Thinner Than Water written by Melissa Ross and directed by The Gift ensemble member John Gawlik (2013 Jeff Award winner for When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theatre). The production marks Thornton's return to The Gift main stage since ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Jeff Nominated Dirty in 2012. Thornton recently appeared in Les Waters' production of Our Town at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Thornton joins guest artists Donna McGough (last seen in Coriolanus with The Hypocrites) and Darci Nalepa (Dirty) and fellow Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch (The Lonesome West), Paul D'Addario (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Gabriel Franken (Broadsword), Lynda Newton (Absolute Hell) and Jay Worthington (Vigils).

The Gift Theatre Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the Chicago premiere of Thinner Than Water written by Melissa Ross and directed by The Gift ensemble member John Gawlik (2013 Jeff Award winner for When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theatre). The production marks Thornton's return to The Gift main stage since ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Jeff Nominated Dirty in 2012. Thornton recently appeared in Les Waters' production of Our Town at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Thornton joins guest artists Donna McGough (last seen in Coriolanus with The Hypocrites) and Darci Nalepa (Dirty) and fellow Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch (The Lonesome West), Paul D'Addario (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Gabriel Franken (Broadsword), Lynda Newton (Absolute Hell) and Jay Worthington (Vigils).

The Gift Theatre artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton has announced casting for the Chicago premiere of Broadsword: A Heavy Metal Play written by Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black; Sons of Anarchy) and directed by Keira Fromm. Guest artists Chuck Spencer (Jeff Award-winner for Redtwist's Man From Nebraska) and Pavement Group's Cyd Blakewell (currently co-starring in Mine) join The Gift Ensemble members John Kelly Connolly (The Lonesome West), James D. Farruggio (Suicide, Inc.), Gabriel Franken (Mine) and John Gawlik (The Lonesome West).

New mother Mari has a devoted husband, a reassuring midwife and a mom who can't wait to babysit. But she can't shake the feeling that there's something strange about her newborn daughter. Chicago's The Gift Theatre Company births a world of new motherhood, where doubt and certainty blur, in the Chicago premiere of Laura Marks' thrilling, haunting and terrifying Mine, directed by Marti Lyons. Mine makes its Chicago premiere now through August 11, 2013, at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue (at Lawrence) in Chicago. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

New mother Mari has a devoted husband, a reassuring midwife and a mom who can't wait to babysit. But she can't shake the feeling that there's something strange about her newborn daughter. Chicago's The Gift Theatre Company births a world of new motherhood, where doubt and certainty blur, in the Chicago premiere of Laura Marks' thrilling, haunting and terrifying Mine, directed by Marti Lyons. Mine makes its Chicago premiere now through August 11, 2013, at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue (at Lawrence) in Chicago. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., with Sundaymatinees at 2:30 p.m. Single tickets are $25-$30 and subscriptions start at $50. To purchase tickets or for more information, please call 773-283-7071 or visit www.thegifttheatre.org.

New mother Mari has a devoted husband, a reassuring midwife and a mom who can't wait to babysit. But she can't shake the feeling that there's something strange about her newborn daughter. Chicago's The Gift Theatre Company births a world of new motherhood, where doubt and certainty blur, in the Chicago premiere of Laura Marks' thrilling, haunting and terrifying Mine, directed byMarti Lyons. Mine makes its Chicago Premiere tonight, June 13 - August 11 at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave (at Lawrence) in Chicago. Press opening is Monday, June 17.

New mother Mari has a devoted husband, a reassuring midwife and a mom who can't wait to babysit. But she can't shake the feeling that there's something strange about her newborn daughter. Chicago's The Gift Theatre Company births a world of new motherhood, where doubt and certainty blur, in the Chicago premiere of Laura Marks' thrilling, haunting and terrifying Mine, directed byMarti Lyons. Mine makes its Chicago Premiere June 13 - August 11 at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave (at Lawrence) in Chicago. Press opening is Monday, June 17.