James Leaming News

The Jeff Awards has announced the nominees for the 52nd annual awards for theater excellence that include 142 theater artists across 30 artistic and technical categories. The awards will be presented in an online program on Monday, November 9, 2020 at 7:00PM.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY at Gulfshore Playhouse, adapted by Joe Landry and directed by Peter Amster, tells this classic Christmas tale in a new, engaging way.  

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.

TimeLine Theatre Company announces its inaugural "FIRST DRAFT: A TimeLine Playwrights Collective Festival,' the culmination of the company's latest two-year new-play incubator program offering residency to Chicago-based emerging and established writers. FIRST DRAFT will take place December 1 - 3, 2018, at TimeLine's home at 615 W. Wellington Avenue in Chicago, with free public readings of new plays by current Playwrights Collective members Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Maureen Gallagher, and Calamity West. 

The nominations have been announced for the 2018 Equity Joseph Jefferson ('Jeff') Awards.

The Chicago theater community will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance and concert offerings this Holiday season.

American Blues Theater continues its 2017-2018 Season with the Chicago premiere of Steve Murray's This Wonderful Life and directed by Ensemble member Carmen Roman, starring Founding Ensemble Member James Leaming. This Wonderful Life runs November 2-26, 2017 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway in Chicago. The official press opening is November 5, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.

American Blues Theater continues its 2017-2018 Season with the Chicago premiere of Steve Murray's This Wonderful Life and directed by Ensemble member Carmen Roman, starring Founding Ensemble Member James Leaming. This Wonderful Life runs November 2-26, 2017 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway in Chicago. The official press opening is November 5, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.

The Third Annual Chicago Theater Bike Ride: Love Hard, a 501(c)(3) organization, will benefit The Actors Fund, a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment (www.actorsfund.org), and TheEmergency Aid Fund, which has assisted community members with funeral and apartment fire expenses with proceeds from the first two Rides.

American Blues Theater opens its 2017-2018 Season with the Chicago Premiere of Beauty's Daughter by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Ron OJ Parson, and Artistic Affiliate Wandachristine. Beauty's Daughter runs July 7 - August 5, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  The official press opening is Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the 2017 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival. 

American Blues Theater opens its 2017-2018 Season with the Chicago Premiere of Beauty's Daughter by Dael Orlandersmith and directed by Ron OJ Parson. Beauty's Daughter runs July 7 - August 5, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  The official press opening is Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, hosts 2017 Ripped: The Living Newspaper Festival on Tuesday, May 2, 2017.

American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, announces the appointment of the theater's new Managing Director, Claude Binder. He will begin his tenure at American Blues Theater today, March 6, 2017.

American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Columnist by David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm. The Columnist runs February 17 - April 9, 2017 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.  The official press opening is Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, has named Idris Goodwin the winner of the 2017 National Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Goodwin's play, HYPE MAN, was selected from a pool 543 submissions. As part of the award, Goodwin receives a $1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to further develop his script with American Blues Theater.

American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Columnist by David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm. The Columnist runs February 17 - April 1, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  

American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Columnist by David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm. The Columnist runs February 17 - April 9, 2017 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.  The official press opening is Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

American Blues Theater announces the addition of a new Ensemble member and three new Artistic Affiliates.

Once again, Peninsula Players imports a fresh new play first produced in 2015 direct from Utah to Door County. Playwright Kenneth Jones' Alabama Story received a first regional premiere at the award-winning Fish Creek theater in a story where an innocent children's book by Garth Williams--'The Rabbits' Wedding'-incites civil unrest in Montgomery, Alabama, 1959.