Michael Manocchio News

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance continues its 2015-16 season on December 4th at the Hilberry Theatre with Inspecting Carol. Step right in to the holiday season with all its merriment, festivities, stress and joy. At the theatre, there's no better story to set the tone for this part of the year than the well-loved Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens' words come alive onstage for generations of thespians and patrons year after year.

Now on stage at the Hilberry Theatre at Wayne State University is The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance production of THE GREAT GATSBY.  This moving drama tells the story of greed, betrayal and inequality in the fictional town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922.  The young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby (played marvelously by Santino Craven) has a  quixotic passion and obsession for the beautiful former debutante Daisy Buchanan (played beautifully by Devri Chism).  The drama brings the classic 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald to life.

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance continues its 2015-16 season tonight, October 30 at the Hilberry Theatre with the opening of THE GREAT GATSBY. Wayne State University is delighted to present the only authorized stage interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, adapted by Simon Levy, featuring the memorable characters of the story interacting in its famous Gilded Age setting.

Staged readings for the finalists of the 2016 Louise Heck-Rabi Dramatic Writing Festival, hosted by Wayne State University, takes place today, October 22 and Friday, October 23 beginning at 9:00am in the Studio Theatre. Winners of the competition will have their plays presented at The Heck-Rabi Festival which is a unique opportunity for emerging playwrights to see their work produced.

Staged readings for the finalists of the 2016 Louise Heck-Rabi Dramatic Writing Festival, hosted by Wayne State University, takes place on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23 beginning at 9:00am in the Studio Theatre. Winners of the competition will have their plays presented at The Heck-Rabi Festival which is a unique opportunity for emerging playwrights to see their work produced.

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance continues its 2015-16 season on October 30 at the Hilberry Theatre with the opening of THE GREAT GATSBY. Wayne State University is delighted to present the only authorized stage interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, adapted by Simon Levy, featuring the memorable characters of the story interacting in its famous Gilded Age setting.

Sean Graney, who recently returned to Chicago to resume his post as Artistic Director of The Hypocrites, informed the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee that he just learned the theater company had been operating under an Equity CAT-N contract for the duration of the 2014-2015 Non-Equity season.  Over the past year, requests for judging its productions were made to the Non-Equity Wing without the committee having knowledge of the company's Equity status. The Jeff Committee was aware that two of the productions had Equity performers (as indicated in the program); however, the committee has now confirmed that these were not guest contracts.  As such, the company's productions are not eligible for consideration in the Non-Equity Wing, and all related Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations have been rescinded.  The productions in question will be shifted to the Equity Wing for awards consideration during its current season, which commenced on August 1, 2014 and will end on July 30, 2015.

The Jeff Awards Committee today announced 118 nominations in 24 categories for the 42nd Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015. The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. Jeff judges attended opening nights of 133 productions offered by 56 Non-Equity producing organizations. The Jeff Committee recommended 62 of those shows, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations. Of the 62 Jeff Recommended productions, 46 received nominations, representing 23 theatre companies.

The Hilberry Theatre Company presents William Congreve's The Way of the World, which will be recorded for inclusion in the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive in the National Theatre Archive at Lincoln Center. The Archive has been an integral part of theatre history and research since 1970, with a mandate to 'preserve live theatrical productions and document the creative contributions of distinguished artists and legendary figures of the theatre.' Scroll down for a look at the show!

The Hilberry Theatre Company presents William Congreve's The Way of the World, which will be recorded for inclusion in the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive in the National Theatre Archive at Lincoln Center. The Archive has been an integral part of theatre history and research since 1970, with a mandate to "preserve live theatrical productions and document the creative contributions of distinguished artists and legendary figures of the theatre." Scroll down for a look at the show!

The Hilberry Theatre's 52nd season continues with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, returning to the Hilberry stage for the first time since 2006. The production plays from today, October 24 to December 13, 2014.

The Hilberry Theatre's 52nd season continues with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, returning to the Hilberry stage for the first time since 2006. The production plays from October 24 to December 13, 2014, with additional student matinees scheduled throughout early 2015.

Mike and Seth by Daniel Talbott will lead off the side project's two-play August repertory. The two-hander, to be directed by the side project's Artistic Director Adam Webster, is a hyper-intimate study of two young men (one gay, one straight) in an all-night discussion the night before one of them is to get married.

Kathleen Tolan ('Memory House') has granted the side project the world premiere rights to her exploration of memory, history and music, What to Listen For, opening June 3, 2014. The company will also present the Midwest premiere of Washington State-based playwright/performer Kristen Kosmas' Hello Failure, commencing June 15, as it continues its 2013-14 season of repertory plays. Overall, the June Rep, featuring two of America's most fascinating female playwrights, will explore themes of loss and the search for lasting connections.

Kathleen Tolan ("Memory House") has granted the side project the world premiere rights to her exploration of memory, history and music, What to Listen For, opening June 3, 2014. The company will also present the Midwest premiere of Washington State-based playwright/performer Kristen Kosmas' Hello Failure, commencing June 15, as it continues its 2013-14 season of repertory plays. Overall, the June Rep, featuring two of America's most fascinating female playwrights, will explore themes of loss and the search for lasting connections.

The Side Project has announced it will present The Kindness of Strangers: A Festival of Storytelling. Forty storytellers will converge in a three-week festival featuring first-time and experienced tellers nightly, accompanied by live multi-instrumentalist, Matt Wills. The Festival, kicking off today, October 20, will run Sunday through Wednesday eves at 7:30pm through November 6.

Storytelling - part acting, part writing and part solo performance piece - is possibly the world's oldest art form. The original medium for classics like Beowulf and Homer's Odyssey, storytelling as performance will be celebrated in 21st Century style in the side project's second Festival of Storytelling, Each night, three to four different artists will take the stage to perform 5- to 12-minute pieces, prior to a full-length story offered by one of the festival's three headliners. Multi-instrumentalist Matt Wills will provide musical accompaniment. The Festival, kicking off October 20 at The Side Project, will run Sunday through Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm through November 6.

The Side Project has announced it will present The Kindness of Strangers: A Festival of Storytelling. Forty storytellers will converge in a three-week festival featuring first-time and experienced tellers nightly, accompanied by live multi-instrumentalist, Matt Wills. The Festival, kicking off October 20, will run Sunday through Wednesday eves at 7:30pm through November 6.