Manny Buckley News

American Blues Theater will present the 2024 Blue Bash, a fundraiser celebrating the company’s history and artistry. Learn how to purchase tickets!

City Lit Theater has announced its programming for the 2024-25 season, the company’s 44th. Learn more about the full season lineup here!

American Blues Theater presents the Chicago premiere of 'The Reclamation of Madison Hemings' by Charles Smith, directed by Chuck Smith. Tickets on sale now.

American Blues Theater launches The Commons, a new, monthly community event initiative, with a reading of Gloria Majule’s Uhuru, directed by Ensemble Member Manny Buckley. 

American Blues Theater announces its 22nd Annual Production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from Frank Capra’s film and directed by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler.

Join PlayGround-Chicago for the start of their 2nd season with the Monday Night PlayGround series, featuring original short plays inspired by the prompt 'Origin Story.' The event will be held in-person and simulcast online on October 30th at 7pm CT.

Discover the talented playwright, Kristoffer Diaz, as he is honored as the winner of the 2023 Blue Ink Festival of New Plays by American Blues Theater. Learn more about the festival and the exciting future of Diaz's work in this insightful article.

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents the 2023 Blue Ink Festival of new plays, featuring four staged readings of works by the 2023 Blue Ink Award winner and featured finalists.

Throughout Black History Month this February, many Chicago theatres will present productions honoring the Black experience featuring Black theatres and theatre-makers.

American Blues Theater has announced its 21st Annual Production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! will run November 23 – December 23, 2022 at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, Chicago. The press opening is Sunday, November 27 at 2:30pm.

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents August Wilson’s Fences, directed by Monty Cole. Check out photos here!

American Blues Theater is presenting August Wilson's Fences, directed by Monty Cole through August 6, 2022. This is the sensational drama about Troy Maxson, a former star of the Negro Baseball League, who now works as a garbage man in 1957 Pittsburgh. Get a first look at the production here!

American Blues Theater has announced the cast of August Wilson’s Fences, directed by Monty Cole. The intimate and up-close production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama will play to a capacity of 60 people per performance from July 1-August 6, 2022, at Theater Wit,1229 W. Belmont Ave. 

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents a live, online reading of Origin Story by Nathan Alan Davis, directed by Ensemble member Manny Buckley, as part of “The Room” series. The play will be live on Friday, February 25 at 7pm. 

American Blues Theater marks its return to live, in-person theater with its 20th 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.

Broken Nose Theatre, one of Chicago’s premier Pay-What-You-Can theatre companies, is pleased to launch its tenth season with an audio adaptation of its hit 2018 play Kingdom, written by Resident Playwright Michael Allen Harris and directed by Manny Buckley.

Broken Nose Theatre, one of Chicago's premier Pay-What-You-Can theatre companies, is pleased to launch its tenth season with an audio adaptation of its hit 2018 play Kingdom, written by Resident Playwright Michael Allen Harris and directed by Manny Buckley.

Broken Nose Theatre, one of Chicago's premier Pay-What-You-Can theatre companies, is excited to announce its tenth season, featuring two streaming audio plays followed by two in-person performances, including a world premiere and Chicago premiere.

American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces a virtual reading of the winner of the 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award, Refugee Rhapsody by Yussef El Guindi, directed by Kaiser Ahmed. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater will welcome artists back to make theater again as dozens of actors, directors, designers, and technicians are busy creating upcoming productions, captured live in the Theater's performance spaces and streaming on-demand for audiences at home via the new Chicago ShakesSTREAM platform.