Northwestern University News

Pioneer Theatre Company ushers in its new play reading series, called Play-By-Play, with True Art by Jessica Provenz, February 28 and March 1, 2014. Guest artist Julie Kramer directs the production.

The Drama League (Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director; Roger T. Danforth, Artistic Director) has announced the ten artists and theater ensembles chosen to develop new plays and musicals as part of the 2014 Artist Residency Program. The development of these works, which include two 2014 Artists In Residence, Rachel Dickstein/Ripe Time and Jeremy Bloom/Rady&Bloom, will be held at The Drama League Theater Center (32 Avenue of the Americas) in Tribeca from March-July 2014.

A dance that honors the millions of Mexicans who participated in the Bracero Program -- and the family members they left behind -- will convey the 'bittersweet' story of people caught in the whirlwind of the emergency farm and railroad program initiated by the United States and Mexico during World War II.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'The Last Ship' sails, 'Chicago' and 'The Heartbeat Of Home' stop by, 'Chicago's Golden Soul,' and 'Ain't Misbehavin' pack 'em in, catch 'Dessa Rose,' 'Love Story' and 'A New Brain,' and the Waa-Mu Show announces 2014, plus more!

The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) and The Poetry Foundation partner to present James Franco and Frank Bidart, Off the Shelf, an evening of poetry, film, and discussion tonight, Feb. 19, 2014 at 8 p.m. at Thorne Auditorium, Northwestern University School of Law (375 E Chicago Ave).

On the seventy-sixth anniversary of famed attorney Clarence Darrow's death, this year's annual Darrow commemoration on Thursday, March 13, looks at the 'The Death of the American Trial' with professor Robert P. Burns, author of a 2009 book by the same title.

Court Theatre continues its 2013-2014 season with the Chicago premiere of Water by the Spoonful written by Quiara Alegria Hudes, and directed by Henry Godinez. Water by the Spoonful will run March 6 - April 6, 2014 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Press Opening is Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 8:00PM.

Audiences will have the opportunity to leave mid-winter's sub-freezing temperatures behind when they step into the sizzling atmosphere of 'Cabaret.' The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical is the second winter production in the Theatre and Interpretation Center (TIC) at Northwestern University's 2013-14 Mainstage Season.

The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) hosts award-winning author Karen Russell tonight, February 13, at 6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at The Chicago Temple (77 W Washington St). The author of St. Lucy's Home for Girls and the Pulitzer Prize Award finalist Swamplandia!, Russell comes to Chicago to discuss her latest work, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, with Time Out Chicago's Laura Pearson. Tickets are on sale now for $10-15 and can be purchased online at chicagohumanities.org or at 312-494-9509.

The Pearl Theatre Company continues its 30th anniversary season-the second season in its new home on West 42nd Street-with a new production of No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, adapted from the French by Paul Bowles. Linda Ames Key, making her Pearl debut, directs this touchstone of French existentialism in its first Off-Broadway production in over 15 years. The cast includes Pearl Resident Acting Company (RAC) member Jolly Abraham as Inez and Pearl RAC member Branford Cover as Cradeau along with Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris as Estelle and Pete McGilligot as Valet.

The Pearl Theatre Company continues its 30th anniversary season-the second season in its new home on West 42nd Street-with a new production of No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, adapted from the French by Paul Bowles. Linda Ames Key, making her Pearl debut, directs this touchstone of French existentialism in its first Off-Broadway production in over 15 years. The cast includes Pearl Resident Acting Company (RAC) member Jolly Abraham as Inez and Pearl RAC member Branford Cover as Cradeau along with Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris as Estelle and Pete McGilligot as Valet.

In 2012, Playwrights Theatre began the New Jersey Emerging Women Playwrights Project (NJEWP) as part of its larger ongoing effort to provide meaningful support to playwrights through an authentic development process that focuses on the specific and individual needs of the writer.

The Bushwick Starr will present a collaboration between stage and film director Daniel Fish and dance and theater artist Andrew Dinwiddie. Using nearly seven weeks of residency time at the Bushwick Starr, and in collaboration with actor T. Ryder Smith (War Horse, Passion Play) and designers Blanca Añon (ETERNAL, Owned) and Daniel Kluger (Nikolai and the Others, A Map of Virtue), they will create PHIL. 176 / OBIT, an episodic performance installation that draws simultaneously on the text of Shelly Kagan's renowned Yale College philosophy course, 'PHIL 176: Death,'* and on current American obituaries and death notices.

The Music Box Theatre continues its partnership with the UK's National Theatre Live - produced by Northwestern alum David Sabel - to exhibit live stage performances beamed to Chicago from England. Next weekend: Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers, Thor) stars in Coriolanus, Shakespeare's searing tragedy of political manipulation and revenge. Coriolanus bows Sunday, February 16, 11:30 am at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue.

A Chicago Premiere, Love and Understanding by Joe Penhall, will open Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Redtwist Theatre, directed by Jaclynn Jutting.

Audiences will have the opportunity to leave mid-winter's sub-freezing temperatures behind when they step into the sizzling atmosphere of 'Cabaret.' The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical is the second winter production in the Theatre and Interpretation Center (TIC) at Northwestern University's 2013-14 Mainstage Season.

Mercury Theater Chicago and The Hypocrites will feature Stephen Sondheim: The Man and The Music, a post-show talk back discussion on the renowned composer with Dr. Mark E. Lococo, Professor and Director of Theatre at Loyola University Chicago; Dr. Sarah Gabel, Chairperson for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Loyola University Chicago; and Director Geoff Button, following the 8:00 p.m. performance of INTO THE WOODS tonight, February 7 at the Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the book by James Lapine, The Hypocrites bring their heightened and playful sense of theatricality to the musical INTO THE WOODS through March 30.

Hot off of four BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards, Williams Street Repertory (WSR) has begun gearing up for their next musical, She Loves Me. Directed by Roger Zawacki, the delightfully endearing production opens tonight, February 7 at 8:00 pm, and runs for select dates and times through February 16 at Raue Center For The Arts in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Good Works Productions & Fig Tree Productions in association with Stage Left Studio, are excited to announce The Gifted Series, two riveting and unique solo-shows written by acclaimed award-winning playwright Monica Bauer (Emerging Playwright Award, Urban Stages). The Gifted Series includes The Year I Was Gifted, performed by Monica Bauer and directed by Carolyn Ladd; and Made For Each Other, performed by John Fico and directed by John FitzGibbon.

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) closes their 10th season with the world premiere of SPARK: Chapter One of The Prometheus Project, which runs April 5 - May 8, 2014 at ASC's Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St., Chicago. SPARK is written by Tom Arvetis (ASC Producing Artistic Director) and directed by Rives Collins (Theatre and Drama for Youth Specialist, Northwestern University).