Maureen Yasko News

With the conclusion of the 2019-2020 Chicago non-Equity theater season, the Jeff Awards announced the nominees for the 47th annual awards for theater excellence that include 120 theater artists across 21 categories.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 22nd year continues with the Fighting Words Festival, Saturday, Feb. 29 and Sunday, March 1 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont. The Festival, which is free and open to the public, features readings of three scripts in the development process. After each reading, the audience has an opportunity to provide feedback for the playwright and Babes With Blades. Complimentary tickets may be reserved at Stage773.com and more information is available at babeswithblades.org.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 22nd season continues with Duchess of Malfi, running April 17 - May 30, written by John Webster, adaptation and direction by BWBTC Artistic Director Hayley Rice and fight choreography by Maya Vinice Prentiss. All performances are at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard Street.

Idle Muse Theatre Company (IMTC) continues its 2019-20 Season with In The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Morgan Manasa, March 9 - April 5, 2020 at The Edge Theatre Off Broadway, 1133 W Catalpa Ave. Previews are Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 at 8 p.m. Opening night is Monday, March 9, 2020 at 8 p.m. The regular performance run is Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with an added performance Wednesday, March 25 at 8 p.m. Industry Night is every Thursday during the run with $10 tickets for industry members. Tickets are $10 for previews, $20 regular adult ticket, $15 senior (over 65) and students (any age) and are on sale now at www.idlemuse.org; or by calling 773.340.9438.

Midsommer Flight's popular perennial intimate production of Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, performed alley style amid the flowers of the Lincoln Park Conservatory's beautiful Show House Room, will return with a new cast for its fifth year. Performances will be December 5 a?" 22, 2019. Midsommer Flight company member Dylan S. Roberts, who earned raves for his staging of the company's 2017 production, will return to helm the 2019 edition.

Midsommer Flight's popular perennial intimate production of Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, performed alley style amid the flowers of the Lincoln Park Conservatory's beautiful Show House Room, will return with a new cast for its fifth year.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 22nd anniversary season launches with Women Of 4G, August 1 – September 14, written by Amy Tofte, direction by Lauren Katz, assistant direction by Stephanie Mattos and fight direction by Maureen Yasko. 

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 22nd anniversary season launches with Women Of 4G, August 1 - September 14, written by Amy Tofte, direction by Lauren Katz, assistant direction by Stephanie Mattos and fight direction by Maureen Yasko. All performances are at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. Preview performances are Thursday, Aug. 1 - Saturday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 4 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m. Opening Night is Friday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company (BWBTC) announces its 22nd Anniversary Season, "Take Control. Take Action. Make History.," consisting of two full productions and three developing scripts as part of the Fighting Words Festival 2020, all reflecting how women take ownership of their circumstances and how they manage to prevail.

The Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 21st anniversary season concludes with the return of The Fighting Words Festival this June at Otherworld Theatre. The Fighting Words sprang from the very clear need to increase the canon of female fighting roles.

Midsommer Flight to present staged reading of CORIOLANUS at Uncommon Ground in Edgewater May 2 and 3 Midsommer Flight, the professional not-for-profit theatre company that has been bringing free Shakespeare to Chicago parks since 2012, will perform a free staged reading of CORIOLANUS on Thursday, May 2 at 7 pm and Friday, May 3 at 8 pm. Both readings will be performed at Uncommon Ground Edgewater, 1401 W. Devon Avenue. Tickets will be free, with reservations available through the Midsommer Flight website.

One of the hottest tickets of past holiday seasons - Midsommer Flight's "pay-what-you-can" production of TWELFTH NIGHT, performed in the beautiful Show House Room of the Lincoln Park Conservatory - will return for its fourth year on November 29, 2018. Shakespeare's delightful comedy of mistaken identity and gender switching has a strictly limited seating among the lush flowers of the Show House Room.

Midsommer Flight's FOURTEEN LINES recording launch party has been moved to Uncommon Ground Edgewater. The event is relocated following abrupt closure of Uptown Underground on Tuesday. The Monday, September 17 benefit party celebrating the release of Midsommer Flight's first stand-alone album of twelve Shakespearean sonnets set to music - originally scheduled to be held at Uptown Underground - has been moved to Uncommon Ground - Edgewater, at 1401 W. Devon Ave.

Midsommer Flight sings Shakespeare in FOURTEEN LINES recording of 12 sonnets set to original music CD launch party Monday September 17 at Uptown Underground With its seventh summer of free Shakespeare performances as an Arts Partner in Chicago Park District parks concluding on August 26, the Chicago theatre company Midsommer Flight is offering audiences another way to enjoy Shakespeare. Building upon its success in creating original music for its productions, Midsommer Flight has developed its first stand-alone album of twelve Shakespearean sonnets set to music composed by Midsommer Flight ensemble members Elizabeth Rentfro and Erick Rivera. Rentfro and Rivera have written original music for many of the company's productions, including its popular music-infused annual Twelfth Night each December.

The Conspirators are pleased to announce the full cast and production team of the World Premiere of The Deckchairs (or, Make the Titanic Great Again), written by Sid Feldman and directed by Wm. Bullion, to be performed at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

The Factory Theater presents the world premiere of The Adventures of Spirit Force Five, playing June 29 - August 11 at the Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. The new play is written by Jill Oliver and directed by Spenser Davis. Previews are Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 1 at 3 p.m.

Casting was announced today for THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA - Midsommer Flight's seventh summer of free Shakespeare performances as an Arts Partner in Chicago Park District parks. The company's Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf, who will direct Shakespeare's comedy, made the announcement today. THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA will play two weekends each in four different Chicago parks.

Midsommer Flight to present staged reading of RICHARD III at Galway Arms April 23 and 30. Diverse, adaptive cast to be featured Midsommer Flight, the professional not-for-profit theatre company that has been bringing free Shakespeare to Chicago parks since 2012 will perform a free staged reading of RICHARD III on April 23 and 30 at Galway Arms Irish Bar and Restaurant at 2442 N Clark St. in Lincoln Park.

Midsommer Flight will expand programming in its 2018 season to include a free TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA in the parks this summer, special staged reading of RICHARD III in spring and the holiday perennial TWELFTH NIGHT. Midsommer Flight, the professional not-for-profit theatre company that has been bringing free Shakespeare to Chicago parks since 2012, will expand its programming from two to three productions for its 2018 season. Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf made the announcement today.

The Factory Theater presents the second production of its 25th anniversary season, the world premiere of The Next Big Thing, playing at the Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., March 9 April 21, 2018.