Goodman Theatre News

A Miracle is coming to Chicago. Inspired by Chicago's beloved 2016 World Series Champions the Chicago Cubs, MIRACLE, makes its highly-anticipated World Premiere at the Royal George Theatre (1641 N Halsted St) with previews May 8.

Court Theatre and playwright Nambi E. Kelley have received the Prince Prize for Commissioning Original Work for 2018. Prince Charitable Trusts makes an award of $75,000 each year to a major Chicago dance, music, visual arts or theater company. When the Trust approached Court Theatre about projects that might fit their vision for the Prize, it was only natural to ask playwright Nambi E. Kelley to create an original play based on the story of Stokely Carmichael's activism and legacy for the stage. In 2014, Kelley had adapted Richard Wright's Native Son for Court Theatre in a co-production with American Blues Theatre that garnered great critical and popular acclaim. Another collaboration would build upon these successes.

Sideshow Theatre Company and Rivendell Theatre Ensemble present the Midwest premiere of Selina Fillinger's breathtaking new drama SOMETHING CLEAN, directed by Lauren Shouse, playing June 16 - July 21, 2019 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

Following a sold-out performance at The Boxcar at Steep in January, THIN MINTS returns with a free public reading on Sunday, May 5 at 11 am. The play has been programmed into Prop Theatre's Church of the New Play series. The reading will mark the next step in the play's development process which included a workshop production at Columbia University in 2016 and subsequent developmental readings and workshops in Chicago in 2018 and 2019. Audience members are encouraged to participate in a post-show discussion with the playwright, director, and cast.

Premiere Stages at Kean University has announced its 15th anniversary season, featuring four new plays that explore the power and responsibility of legacy.

Tickets officially go on sale on today for the New York Premiere of #DateMe: An OKCupid Experiment tickets can be purchased online through telecharge.com. The Westside Theatre box office will officially open on June 6, 2019.

BoHo Theatre continues its 2019 season with THE RIVER, a haunting and complex new play by playwright Jez Butterworth, directed by Jerrell L. Henderson. THE RIVER was called "a magnetically eerie, luminously beautiful psychodrama" by TIME OUT LONDON.  Henderson's cast will include Joe Lino as Man, Christina Gorman as Woman, Chelsee Carter as Other Woman. THE RIVER will be staged at the Greenhouse Theater Center and will open to the press on Saturday, June 15, following previews from June 8.

Geva Theatre Center's 46th Season concludes with the world premiere of Revival: The Resurrection of Son House, written and directed by Keith Glover, with music by Son House, Billy Thompson and Keith Glover, musical direction by Billy Thompson and choreography by Norwood Pennewell, in the Elaine P. Wilson Stage from May 1 through June 2, 2019.

It seems only fitting that Ike Holter would conclude his seven-play "Rightlynd Saga," set in the fictional 51st Ward of Chicago, by literally sending it off with a party. And this is no ordinary celebration. A cast of characters from previous installments in the "Rightlynd Saga" gathers in Mallory's backyard; she's the neighborhood's maternal figure, and she's poised to give away a sizable sum of money to one lucky winner.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosts more than 120 outstanding theater students from colleges and universities across the nation as part of the 50th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), which runs April 16-20, 2019 in multiple locations throughout the Center. The Center also announced the national awardees for the KCACTF. Selected awardees and representatives will be brought to Washington, D.C. for an expense-paid trip to participate in the National Festival. These student artists from across the United States have been recognized for their outstanding work from the eight regional festivals that were held January 8 through February 28, 2019.

Pasadena Playhouse, State Theatre of California, continues their exciting partnerships with Caltech Theatre and the USC School of Dramatic Arts this Spring, with MACH 33: The Caltech|Pasadena Playhouse Festival of New Science Driven Plays, presented by Caltech Theater and Pasadena Playhouse May 9 -11 and the New Works Festival Year 3 May 17-18, presented by USC School of Dramatic Arts and hosted by Pasadena Playhouse. These plays are part of Playhouse community programming. Danny Feldman is the Producing Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse.

Black Lives, Black Words International Project, in partnership with Goodman Theatre and Artistic Directors of the Future, is proud to announce the festival line-up for "I AM…FEST: A Celebration of Women of Color in Arts, Activism and Leadership." Curated by Black Lives, Black Words Co-founders Reginald Edmund and Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway, "I AM…FEST" is a first-of-its-kind international festival that shines a spotlights on female voices across the globe through three days of innovative and inspiring events.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents the Northern California premiere of Archduke. Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph, Archduke explores how one man, one moment, can derail an entire century. Focusing on the cataclysmic 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, three hapless insurgents embark on a darkly comic quest for immortality and purpose, unaware that their actions will launch World War I.

Pittsburgh CLO will launch its second New Musicals Weekend, a project of the Next Generation Campaign's New Small Musicals Initiative. New Musicals Weekend, the mini version of the SPARK festival, takes the core goals of SPARK and puts them into action over just seven days. New Musicals Weekend aims to develop new musicals for the CLO Cabaret by supporting writing teams with financial and creative resources and by building relationships with local and national artists. 

Renowned stage director Steve Scott has been slated to direct JPAS's production of the hilarious musical comedy 'How to Kill a Diva' that opens on May 24 at the Westwego Performing Arts Theatre.  The producer at Chicago's Goodman Theatre for over 30 years, Scott is currently a member of the Goodman's Artistic Collective. The Goodman Theatre has won international praise for the quality of its productions including a Tony Award as the nation's outstanding regional theatre.

The Civilians, under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Steve Cosson and Managing Director Margaret Moll, is proud to present the world premiere of Paul Swan is Dead and Gone by Claire Kiechel, a former member of The Civilians' R&D Group where the play was first developed. Directed by Cosson and starring Tony Torn as the real-life Paul Swan, the production marks Kiechel's New York debut and runs April 25 - May 19, with an opening night set for May 1. For an audience of only 30, the intimate and immersive performance takes place at Torn Page (435 West 22nd Street, Manhattan), a salon-style performance space located inside a historic Chelsea townhouse originally purchased by Torn's parents, Geraldine Page and Rip Torn.

Antipodes Theatre Company is pleased to announce its inaugural season in Melbourne, including an Australian musical premiere, a free reading series, acting workshops, and programs for young artists.

92Y announces a second concert with award-winner Gavin Creel. On Monday, June 17 at 7:30 pm, Creel will pay homage to the American musical songbook and recreate memorable songs from his distinguished Broadway career.

The DirectorsLabChicago (DLC) Steering Committee and Artistic Director Wm. Bullion are pleased to announce their 2019 DirectorsLab to be held Sunday-Saturday, August 18-24, 2019, at Victory Gardens Theater as well as in other prominent Chicago theater venues throughout the week-long collaborative symposium for stage directors. The theme for this year's Lab is "In the Room."

Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce the cast and creative team for the first show of the 2019 Mainstage Season. The World Premiere of THE PROMPTER (May 28- June 16) a new comedy by Wade Dooley; will be directed by Scott Schwartz, Bay Street Theater's Artistic Director.