Jim Ortlieb News

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble celebrating 30 years of presenting visceral theatrical works while engaging its audience in missions of local service agencies, are proud to announce the Chicago premiere of LOOKING OVER THE PRESIDENT'S SHOULDER, by Artistic Affiliate James Still and directed by Timothy Douglas, February 5 - March 6, 2016 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, are proud to announce the return of the critically acclaimed It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, on the main stage of the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., November 20 - December 27. 'Pink Previews,' where tickets sales benefit the Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research, play November 20 - November 22 following the regular schedule. The press/opening night performance is Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 7:30p.m. The running time is approximately 90 minutes. Tickets are $19 - $49 and are on sale now through the box office 773.404.7336 or online at AmericanBluesTheater.com. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. with additional holiday performances to be announced. For more information visit www.AmericanBluesTheater.com.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, announce that American Blues Theater is currently accepting submissions for the 2016 Blue Ink Playwriting Award between Wednesday, July 1 and Monday, Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m. 

A stellar cast, led by Laurie Metcalf, gives their all in the West Coast premiere of Nick Jones' smartly written Trevor. Jimmi Simpson embodies his character of Trevor, an 11-year-old chimpanzee with a child-like humanness, not unlike a human youngster with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Circle X Theatre Co. is thrilled to announce the West Coast premiere of TREVOR, written by Nick Jones (Writer/Co-Producer 'Orange is the New Black') and directed by Stella Powell-Jones, starring Laurie Metcalf and Jimmi Simpson. TREVOR opens tonight, March 14 and run through Sunday, April 19 at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles, 90039.

Circle X Theatre Co. is thrilled to announce the West Coast premiere of TREVOR, written by Nick Jones (Writer/Co-Producer 'Orange is the New Black') and directed by Stella Powell-Jones, starring Laurie Metcalf and Jimmi Simpson. TREVOR will preview tonight, March 5; Friday, March 6; Saturday, March 7; Thursday, March 12 & Friday, March 13 at 8pm and will open on Saturday, March 14 and run through Sunday, April 19 at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles, 90039.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, present their 2015 productions of Steven Dietz's Yankee Tavern, today, February 20 - March 22, 2015, directed by Joanie Schultz and Warren Leight's Sideman, April 24 - May 24, 2015,directed by Jonathan Berry. All productions take place at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.

Circle X Theatre Co. is thrilled to announce the West Coast premiere of TREVOR, written by Nick Jones (Writer/Co-Producer 'Orange is the New Black') and directed by Stella Powell-Jones, starring Laurie Metcalf and Jimmi Simpson. TREVOR will preview on Thursday, March 5; Friday, March 6; Saturday, March 7; Thursday, March 12 & Friday, March 13 at 8pm and will open on Saturday, March 14 and run through Sunday, April 19 at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles, 90039.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside is proud to announce American Blues Theater's 2015 -- 2016 30th Anniversary Season, "Seeing is Believing." All main stage performances take place at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, are proud to announce the return of the critically acclaimed It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, directed by Marty Higginbotham on the mainstage of the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., November 23 - December 28.

To accompany Of Mice And Men's international screening tomorrow, November 6, National Theatre Live has developed a digital program for iPad, with a version for iPhone to follow shortly. Audiences will be able to go behind the scenes with interviews, short-films, production photographs, a timeline of the great depression, an exclusive article by James Franco as well as video interviews with cast and director. The app is available internationally beginning Thursday, November 6 for $6.99.

Laurie Oestreicher and LLL Magic have announced two developmental lab performances, October 27 and 28, 2014, of the new musical, The Next Big Thing, with book and lyrics by J. Laurence Lowenstein, music by Gerald H. Bailey (Courting), and directed by Jim Ortlieb (Broadway's recent Of Mice and Men and Guys and Dolls). The Next Big Thing is an intimate and incisive musical about one young actor's treacherous road to Hollywood stardom.

Laurie Oestreicher and LLL Magic have announced two developmental lab performances of the new musical, The Next Big Thing, with book and lyrics by J. Laurence Lowenstein, music by Gerald H. Bailey (Courting), and directed by Jim Ortlieb (Broadway's recent Of Mice and Men and Guys and Dolls). The Next Big Thing is an intimate and incisive musical about one young actor's treacherous road to Hollywood stardom.

Distributed through BY Experience and Fathom Events, tickets for National Theatre Live's November 6, Of Mice and Men screening are now on sale. For tickets and screening locations please visit www.ntlive.com. Check NT Live listings for encore screening dates and locations.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, are proud to announce the return of the critically acclaimed It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, directed by Marty Higginbotham on the mainstage of the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., November 23 - December 28.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, are proud to announce the casts for the 2015 productions of Steven Dietz's Yankee Tavern, February 20 - March 22, 2015, directed by Joanie Schultz and Warren Leight's Sideman, April 24 - May 24, 2015,directed by Jonathan Berry. All productions take place at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.

The critically-acclaimed Broadway revival of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men directed by Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro, starring Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner James Franco, BAFTA and Tony Award nominee Chris O'Dowd, Leighton Meester and Tony and Olivier Award winner Jim Norton, filmed at Broadway's Longacre Theatre in front of a live audience by National Theatre Live, will be screened in over 700 cinema venues across the United States and Canada on Thursday, November 6, 2014, and varying dates. Distributed through BY Experience and Fathom Events, tickets for National Theatre Live's November 6, Of Mice and Men screening will go on sale Friday, September 12. For tickets and screening locations please visit www.ntlive.com. Additional screening dates and locations to be announced.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, present a special edition of RIPPED: The Living Newspaper DCFS Stories, Sunday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. as a fundraiser for the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. This RIPPED edition is a night of short plays, poetry and spoken word inspired by DCFS stories and headlines.

Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity ensemble, announce that American Blues Theater is currently accepting submissions for the 2015 Blue Ink Playwriting Award through Monday, Sept. 1 at 11:59 p.m. The Blue Ink Playwriting Award was created in 2010 to support new work. Competition rules are attached to this email Playwrights may only submit one (1) manuscript each year for consideration. The winning play will be selected by Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater's award-winning Ensemble. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the Blue Ink Playwriting Award of $1,000 and receive a staged reading at American Blues Theater in Chicago. For information on submission policy and more details, please go AmericanBluesTheater.com.