Gwendolyn Whiteside News

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the winner of the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Award is Recent Unsettling Events by Andrea Stolowitz. A staged reading of the play will be presented as part of the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival, along with new work by finalists Football Football Football Football (or I Love Lave Dash) by Kristoffer Diaz, The Mermaids' Parade by Gina Femia, and Crying on Television by R. Eric Thomas. The Blue Ink Playwriting Festival runs May 2-4, 2020 at 4809 N Ravenswood, Suite #126, in Chicago.

American Blues Theater continues its 2019-2020 Season with its 18th Annual Production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra's film and directed by Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! runs November 14, 2019 a?" January 4, 2020 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. The official press opening is November 17, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater continues its 2019-2020 Season with its 18th Annual Production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra's film and directed by Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! runs November 14, 2019 a?" January 4, 2020 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. The official press opening is November 16, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater opens its 2019-2020 Season by welcoming home Ensemble member Rick Cleveland with the Chicago Premiere of his play Five Presidents, directed by Ensemble member Marty Higginbotham. Five Presidents runs September 6 - October 19, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago.  The official press opening is Thursday, September 12, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater announces casting for the Chicago revival of The Spitfire Grill, based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff, with book by James Valcq and Fred Alley, lyrics by Fred Alley and music by James Valeq. The Spitfire Grill, directed by Tammy Mader with music direction by Malcolm Ruhl, runs July 12 – August 17, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago.  

American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the submission period for the National 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Playwrights are invited to submit one (1) manuscript for consideration.

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the lineup for its 2019 - 2020 Season, "Then & Now".

American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, has named Benjamin Benne, was selected from a pool 752 submissions. As part of the award, Benne receives a $1,250 cash prize and the opportunity to further develop his script with American Blues Theater.

Like a car in a drag race, Steven Dietz's theatrical thriller ON CLOVER ROAD goes from zero to 100 within the first few seconds and doesn't shift down for 85 minutes. The challenge of telling this tale full of twists in such a short time is where do we go once we're at 100? The intensity for the actors and the audience is equal parts thrilling and exhausting. When this car finally comes to a stop, it's hard to determine if there's actually a winner.

American Blues Theater continues its 2018-2019 Season with the Chicago Premiere of the thriller On Clover Road, by Steven Dietzand directed by Halena Kays. On Clover Road runs February 1 - March 16, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago.  

American Blues Theater continues its 2018-2019 Season with the Chicago Premiere of the thriller On Clover Road, by Steven Dietz and directed by Halena Kays. On Clover Road runs February 1 - March 16, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago.  The official press opening is Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater continues its 2018-2019 Season with its 17th Annual Production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra's film and directed by Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! runs November 15, 2018 - January 5, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  

American Blues Theater announces the addition of five new Ensemble members and one new Artistic Affiliate to the Blues family. Joining the Ensemble is director, designer and Associate Producer Elyse Dolan, who directed several works in past Ripped and Blue Ink festivals; designer Jared Gooding, lighting designer of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story; actor Philip Earl Johnson, who is slated to appear in the upcoming Chicago premiere of Steven Dietz's On Clover Road; director Chuck Smith, director of the recent American Blues production of Pearl Cleage's Flyin' West; and actress and playwright Wandachristine, who won many awards for her solo performance Beauty's Daughter. Actor Zachary Stevenson has been named an Artistic Affiliate. Stevenson recently made his Chicago debut as 'Buddy Holly' in American Blues Theater's Joseph Jefferson Award-winning musical Buddy - the Buddy Holly Story, in which he also won a Jeff Award for Performance in a Musical.

American Blues Theater continues its 2018-2019 Season with its 17th Annual Production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra'sfilm and directed by Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. 

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.

American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the submission period for the National 2019 Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Playwrights are invited to submit one (1) manuscript for consideration. The winner will have the opportunity to further develop their script with American Blues Theater. The submission period runs July 1 - August 31, 2018. Submissions are accepted at AmericanBluesTheater.com.

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 reopen June 29 - September 15, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now.

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.

American Blues Theater concludes its 2017-2018 Season with 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 runs April 27 - May 26, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

American Blues Theater concludes its 2017-2018 Season with 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 runs April 27 - May 26, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. The official press opening is today, May 4, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.