American Blues Theater has announced the winner of the 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award is Refugee Rhapsody by Yussef El Guindi. A staged reading of his play will be presented as part of the virtual 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival.
American Blues Theater has announced Valentunes, a benefit event as part of its ongoing music series, “The Garage.” The online event on Friday February 12 at 7pm Central will feature favorite love songs of the American Blues Ensemble and Artistic Affiliates, sung by Dawn Bach, Audrey Billings, Matthew Brumlow, Dara Cameron, Austin Cook and more.
American Blues Theater presents a live, online reading of Football Football Football Football (or I Love Lave Dash) by Kristoffer Diaz, as part of “The Room” series. The reading will be live on Friday, February 5 at 7pm. The reading will be followed by a group discussion with Kristoffer Diaz.
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the first-ever event in the new music series, “The Garage.”
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents the live, online reading of The Lion written and performed by Ensemble member Manny Buckley, as part of “The Room” series. The reading will be live on Friday, January 15 at 7pm Central. The 75-minute reading will be followed by a group discussion.
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents two live, online readings of Days of Decision—the music of Phil Ochs, devised and performed by Artistic Affiliate Zachary Stevenson as part of “The Room” series. The readings will be live on Sunday, November 1 at 3pm and Monday, November 2 at 7pm. The 60-minute reading will be followed by a group discussion with Zachary Stevenson.
This voting season, American Blues Theater is actively engaging and educating the community to vote. Every vote counts and as a premier American arts organization, it has become an initiative of the ensemble, staff and Board of American Blues Theater to provide non-partisan information to its community. American Blues has created the “Our Home, Our Vote” comprehensive voter information site.
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents two live, online readings of Alma, winner of the 2019 Blue Ink Playwriting Award, written by Benjamin Benne and directed by Ana Velazquez as part of 'The Room' series.
The reading will be live on Friday, September 18, 2020 at 7pm, and features Tony Award winner Deanna Dunagan and Artistic Affiliate Camille Robinson.
American Blues Theater will produce its 199h 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! will run online November 12, 2019 a?" January 2, 2020
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, has announced the 2021 Blue Bash, a fundraiser celebrating 35 Years Strong.
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces a?oeThe Rooma??, a brand-new reading series that brings original work, plays in development, and new stories to Chicago audiences.
American Blues Theater has announced the submission period for the National 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Playwrights are invited to submit one (1) manuscript for consideration. The submission period runs July 1 - August 31, 2020.
American Blues Theater presents the 2020 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival digitally, May 1-4, 2020. For the first time ever, audiences around the world can access the scripts of the Blue Ink Playwrighting Festival online, free of charge.
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the lineup for its 2020-2021 Season, a?oeBreaking Boundariesa??. American Blues' 35th Season will include the Chicago Premiere of Airness by Chelsea Marcantel, directed by Gwendolyn Whiteside; the World Premiere of Alma by Benjamin Benne, directed by Ana Velazquez; August Wilson's Fences, directed by Monty Cole; the 19th annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra's film, directed by Gwendolyn Whiteside and music directed by Michael Mahler. All performances in the 2020-2021 season will take place at Stage 773, located at 1225 W Belmont Ave, Chicago.
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.
