Mikael Burke News

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company will return to the stage for its 2022-2023 season with three plays that celebrate the resilience of the human spirit, our need for creative self-expression, and the never-ending desire for emotional connection.

This free festival, running May 16–22, explores and celebrates new voices in American Theater. With workshops, a panel discussion, and talk-backs—both in-person and online—the New Work Festival strengthens TheaterWorks Hartford’s commitment to the development of important new plays.

TheaterWorks Hartford is thrilled to present the 2022 edition of its New Work Festival. This free festival, running May 16–22, explores and celebrates new voices in American Theater. With workshops, a panel discussion, and talk-backs—both in-person and online—the New Work Festival strengthens TheaterWorks Hartford’s commitment to the development of important new plays. Participants include playwrights Brooke Berman, Melissa Crespo & Sarah Saltwick, Terry Guest, and James Anthony Tyler who are joined by directors Shariffa Ali, Michael Barakiva, Mikael Burke, and Caitlin Sullivan. Reservations are required and can be made at www.twhartford.org.

About Face Theatre continues its 27th season with the Chicago premiere of Terry Guest’s haunting new drama THE MAGNOLIA BALLET, running May 12 through June 11, 2022, at the Den Theatre. Following the story of a young Black man in Georgia who finds a shocking discovery among his grandfather's letters, THE MAGNOLIA BALLET explores the need to tear down the rules that are killing us in order to finally live. Associate Artistic Director Mikael Burke premiered this new work in March 2022 at Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis and now brings the play to Chicago with playwright Terry Guest in the lead role.

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre has announced full casting and production details for THE ISLAND by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona, directed by Mikael Burke. THE ISLAND opens Saturday, April 9th at 8pm.

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre has announced their full 2022-23 season consisting of five full productions, the return of the celebrated Young Playwrights’ Festival Showcase, and readings of two new plays by Wisconsin playwrights in its Montgomery Davis Play Development series.   

The Phoenix Theatre will present The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest, March 17 - April 10, 2022. Terry Guest is an award-winning Playwright, Actor, Producer, Poet and Teaching Artist based in Chicago, IL.

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2021–2022 season with Fireflies by Donja R. Love, directed by Mikael Burke. 

Raven Theatre today announced it will cancel its upcoming production of Beautiful Thing due to the current surge of the Omicron variant. The production, written by Jonathan Harvey and directed by Mikael Burke, was slated to run February 9 – March 27, 2022 on Raven’s East Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.

Raven Theatre, Chicago's newest Equity-affiliated theatre, is pleased to continue its 2021-22 Season with Jonathan Harvey's sweet and charming coming-of-age play Beautiful Thing, directed by Mikael Burke. This touching story of two boys living in London discovering how they fit into the world around them will play February 9 – March 27, 2022 on Raven's 85-seat East Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago.

Dedicated to telling queer stories that advance dialogue about gender and sexuality, AFT will produce a trio of new works that meet this moment of extraordinary change in our communities.

Raven Theatre will welcome back live audiences with the announcement of its 2021-22 season, featuring three productions previously postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new season also marks Raven’s transition to an Equity theatre company.

Northlight Theatre has announced its 2021-2022 season, opening with the tour-de-force musical Songs for Nobodies, by Joanna Murray-Smith, directed by Rob Lindley, featuring Bethany Thomas; the world premiere of Mr. Dickens’ Hat by Michael Hollinger, directed by David Catlin and more.

About Face Theatre announces the launch of the Green Room Collective, a new program for early career LGBTQ+ arts leaders. This program builds on over two decades of leadership development work at AFT and will help advance the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders in their theatre-related career and educational goals. The Green Room Collective represents a bold investment in the future of the LGBTQ+ community and the arts.

The production is helmed by Chicago-based director Mikael Burke and features the talents of Milwaukee natives DiMonte Henning as Winston and Sherrick Robinson as John.

Raven Theatre today announced it will cancel its full 2020-21 Season due the COVID 19 pandemic. Cancelled productions include Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey, directed by Mikael Burke (February 11 – March 28, 2021); the world premiere of Eden Prairie, 1971 by Mat Smart, directed by Henry Wishcamper (May 6 – June 20, 2021) and more.

About Face Theatre kicks off its landmark 25th season with KICKBACK, an online festival of newly commissioned short plays and performances by Black LGBTQ+ artists, inspired by the Rebuild Foundation's collections at the Stony Island Arts Bank.

About Face Theatre has announced plans for its landmark 25th anniversary season. Featuring new and original works, the company will focus on using digital streaming and online tools for most of the year.

Jackalope Theatre Company, under the artistic direction of Kaiser Ahmed, announces the production details for the New Frontier Series of commissioned and developing plays - the flagship series of the entirely digital 2020/21 season.

About Face Theatre welcomes Mikael Burke to its staff in the role of Associate Artistic Director to lead AFT's education and new work development programs. Burke has been working with AFT since 2016 when he directed for the AIDS On Stage reading series.