Goodman Theatre News

American Blues Theater announces encore performance run of BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story, written by Alan Janes, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story will close as planned on May 26, 2018 and reopen June 29 - September 15, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets will be on sale for the encore run on May 15, 2018.

Imagine: Yemen - An Evening of New Short Plays featuring Tony Award nominee and two-time Obie Award winner Kathleen Chalfant (For Peter Pan on Her Seventieth Birthday, Angels in America, Wit), Dee Pelletier(August: Osage County), Drama Desk and four-time Obie Award winner George Bartenieff (Zoo Story, Krapp's Last Tape) plays one-night-only, Monday, June 25 at 7PM at The Irene Diamond Stage, The Pershing Square Signature Center

The world's changing, bro. This summer, Goodman Theatre premieres Support Group for Men, a new comedy by Ellen Fairey, directed by Kimberly Senior. Fairey, whose work has been hailed 'a must-see for anyone who follows important new plays' (Chicago Tribune), explores shifting social and gender roles through the lens of four men who gather every Thursday night to vent about middle-aged maladies.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents the MFA One-Acts as part of the 2018 Wagner New Play Festival. The MFA One-Acts include The Clitorish, written by Mara Nelson-Greenberg and directed by Nicholas Rapp; Joshua, written by Ali Viterbi and directed by Vanessa Stalling; and Tambo and Bones, written by Dave Harris and directed by Joseph Hendel.

Truth be told, you'd think that a Princeton and Juilliard grad who's had 15 plays professionally produced, wrote a film that starred Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin; has TV series lined up with HBO and one already in production for Showtime starring Jim Carrey would have had a solid career destiny since the get-go.  Not so says Noah Haidle.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere production of The Roommate by Jen Silverman, directed by Tony Award Winner Phylicia Rashad. A unique story that expresses how early-life choices can lead to mid-life challenges and the humorous, touching and unexpected rewards of bridging the divide, the Steppenwolf production will feature ensemble members Ora Jones as Robyn and Sandra Marquez as Sharon.

Goodman Theatre revives Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years, Emily Mann's 'warming theatrical event' (Variety)that celebrates the lives of 'two strong, vibrant women dispensing joy and wisdom' (Chicago Tribune). Goodman Theatre Resident Director Chuck Smith's production features Ella Joyce and Marie Thomas as the Delany centenarians, Bessie (1891 - 1995) and Sadie (1889 -1999), respectively, as they trace their lives in a heartfelt reflection of their family history and triumphs over prejudices in times of social unrest.

The Gift Theatre is pleased to continue its 17th season with William Shakespeare's HAMLET. Directed by guest artist Monty Cole, this production of the Bard's great tragedy will crack open the mind of one of western drama's most fascinating and complex characters. HAMLET will play June 1 - July 29, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift's box office at (773) 283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org. 

Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the cast and creative team for the second production in their 2018 Mainstage Season: FROST/NIXON, a new play by Peter Morgan, directed by Sarna Lapine. The production will run from June 26 - July 22, 2018. Single tickets are now on sale, and tickets are also still available as part of a Mainstage Subscription. To purchase tickets and subscriptions, call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or purchase online at www.baystreet.org.

Victory Gardens Theater concludes its 43rd season with Mies Julie, written by Yael Farber, directed by Dexter Bullard, and adapted from August Strindberg's Miss Julie. Mies Julie runs May 25 - June 24, 2018, with the press performance on Friday, June 1, 2018 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Theatre Forward is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of its Advancing Strong Theatre grant program, an initiative focused on funding and promoting greater access and opportunity in the American Theatre.  Advancing Strong Theatre seeks to accelerate change in the areas of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) by providing the resources for recipients to explore, initiate or deepen collaborative relationships with those from a group currently under-represented in the activities of the theatre as audience members or participants in other programs.

Sideshow Theatre Company is pleased to announce casting for its world premiere of Kristiana Rae Colon's spectacular and fearless indictment TILIKUM, directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

Ars Nova is pleased to announce the line-up for its 11th Annual ANT Fest (June 4-28), four non-stop, throw-down weeks of live entertainment mayhem, featuring fresh material from the next wave of dynamic, indie-theater makers. Tickets go on sale today for this festival of new indie theater/music/comedy featuring all new talent, all the time.

Ella is a precocious and fiercely competitive actress whose sole aim in life is making her famous playwright father, David, proud. Over the course of a boozy evening, Ella and David deliberate over whether to read the reviews of her Off-Broadway debut...and things unravel from there. Halley Feiffer's dark, probing and very funny new play pulls the audience into the middle of a deeply complicated relationship and sheds new light on the eternal struggles of parents and children to find common ground.

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only Equity theatre dedicated to producing new work with women at the core will add four performances to the run The Cake by Bekah Brunstetter, directed by Lauren Shouse, and featuring RTE Founders Tara Mallen and Keith Kupferer, RTE Member Krystel McNeil, with Tuckie White.  Eight performances have been added to the run, which must close June 2, 2018 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago. 

Goodman Theatre announces the cast and creative team for the Chicago premiere of Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Niegel Smith. Parks, in her "finest work yet" (New York Times), serves up "an American story as much about our present as it is about our past" (Los Angeles Times). Filled with wit, poetry and original music composed by Grammy Award winner Justin Ellington and performed on stage nightly by Chicago native blues musician Melody Angel, the production follows Hero (Kamal Angelo Bolden), a Texas slave, who faces a simple yet monumental choice: join his master in the Confederate army to win his freedom-or remain enslaved at the plantation. Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) appears May 25 - June 24, 2018 (opening night is June 4 at 7pm) in Goodman Theatre's 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre. The estimated run time is 2 hours and 30 minutes. Tickets ($10 - $40; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Father , by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 N. Dearborn). The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation is the Major Production Sponsor and American Airlines is the Contributing Sponsor.

The Wallis production of BLUES IN THE NIGHT, conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps, starts performances next week in the intimate Lovelace Theater! Artistic Director Paul Crewes snuck into rehearsal to chat with cast members Yvette Cason, Bryce Charles, Chester Gregory, and Paulette Ivory about this exciting new production.

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents the MFA One-Acts as part of the 2018 Wagner New Play Festival. The MFA One-Acts include The Clitorish, written by Mara Nelson-Greenberg and directed by Nicholas Rapp; Joshua, written by Ali Viterbi and directed by Vanessa Stalling; and Tambo and Bones, written by Dave Harris and directed by Joseph Hendel.

The Old Globe's 2017-2018 Season continues with today's announcement of the complete cast and creative team for the West Coast premiere of Karen Zacarias's Native Gardens, which was developed in the Globe's 2017 Powers New Voices Festival. Edward Torres (the Globe's Water by the Spoonful) directs this uproarious new comedy, playing May 26 - June 24, 2018 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Tickets start at $30.00 and are on sale to the general public now. Previews run May 26-30. Opening night is Thursday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m.

Pivot Arts is pleased to present the 6th annual PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL, a celebration of contemporary performances and multi-disciplinary works presented throughout Chicago's Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods from June 1 - June 10, 2018.