Ryan Bourque News

Performances begin in three weeks for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's upcoming eighth annual First Look Repertory of New Work, featuring three developmental productions of new plays presented in rotating repertory July 29 - August 25, 2013 in the Garage Theatre (1624 N Halsted St). First Look 2013 includes: Annie Bosh is Missing by Janine Nabers, directed by Shade Murray; Buena Vista by Edith Freni, directed byensemble member Tim Hopper; and The Gospel of Franklin by Aaron Carter, directed by Robert O'Hara. Scroll down for a sneak peek at Annie Bosh, Buena Vista and The Gospel of Franklin in rehearsal!

Join a live studio audience on the set of a '70s-style sitcom as The Inconvenience, The New Colony and the University of Chicago's Theater and Performance Studies Program team up to co-produce the world premiere of B-SIDE STUDIO, co-written by Inconvenience Resident Writer Ike Holter and New Colony Co-Artistic Director Evan Linder and directed by Nicholas J. Carroll, Andrew Hobgood and Gus Menary. B-SIDE STUDIO is performed on Fridays and Saturdays at 9/8c (that's 8 pm in Chicago, meathead!) from September 13 - October 12, 2013 at The Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. in Chicago. The press performances are Friday, September 13 at 8 pm and Saturday, September 14 at 8 pm.

Performances begin in three weeks for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's upcoming eighth annual First Look Repertory of New Work, featuring three developmental productions of new plays presented in rotating repertory July 29 - August 25, 2013 in the Garage Theatre (1624 N Halsted St).

Steppenwolf for Young Adults is pleased to announce casting for the upcoming production of William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Halena Kays directs a cast featuring William Burke, Spencer Curnutt, Lane Flores, Rudy Galvan, Ryan Heindl, Cale Manning, Brendan Meyer, Lance Newton,Ty Olwin, Adam Shalzi and Dan Smeriglio in Nigel Williams's stage adaption of Golding's classic novel. Lord of the Flies runs October 16 - November 10, 2013.

A stage tale of troubled families, a true-life story musical about gay servicemen in World War II and a rousing rock'n'roll revue took home top honors Monday, June 3, at Park West during the 40th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards ceremony recognizing excellence in non-union Chicago theatre.

Reverb by Leslye Headland, will be directed by Jonathan Berry at Redtwist Theatre. The show opens today, May 18, at 3pm. This will be the Chicago premiere of Reverb, a darkly comic, brutal dissection of the deadly force of wrath in the playwright's cycle of the Seven Deadly Sins, featuring Redtwist company member and two-time, Jeff Award-winner, Peter Oyloe.

PIRATES OF PENZANCE at the American Repertory Theater's Loeb Drama Center is tantamount to a three-ring circus being held at a beach volleyball tournament. There are beach balls, kiddie pools, beach chairs, and a grass cocktail shack. The cast performs as roving troubadours, each proficiently playing an instrument. The singing voices are good across the board and the songs are delivered with brio. As an acting troupe, The Hypocrites fit nicely with the A.R.T. aesthetic, making a strong connection with the audience both physically and emotionally. Director Sean Graney's vision serves as an introduction to the great work of Gilbert and Sullivan, albeit equivalent to a 'Reader's Digest' abridgement, and one might hope that it would motivate the previously uninitiated to learn more about them.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), in association with the Loeb Drama Center, begins performances of the runaway hit of the 2012 Emerging AmericaFestival, Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, in a new adaptation by Sean Graney and Kevin O'Donnell, arranged by Kevin O'Donnell and the Cast. Performances begin tonight, May 10, 2013 with press opening on Wednesday, May 15, and runs through June 2, 2013.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), in association with the Loeb Drama Center, begins performances of the runaway hit of the 2012 Emerging AmericaFestival, Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, in a new adaptation by Sean Graney and Kevin O'Donnell, arranged by Kevin O'Donnell and the Cast. Performances begin on May 10, 2013 with press opening on Wednesday, My 15, and runs through June 2, 2013.

Reverb by Leslye Headland, will be directed by Jonathan Berry at Redtwist Theatre. The show opens Saturday, May 18, at 3pm. This will be the Chicago premiere of Reverb, a darkly comic, brutal dissection of the deadly force of wrath in the playwright's cycle of the Seven Deadly Sins, featuring Redtwist company member and two-time, Jeff Award-winner, Peter Oyloe.

The Jeff Awards Committee today announced 120 nominations in 25 categories of Non-Equity Jeff Awards for productions that opened between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013. The Non-Equity Awards honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract. Jeff judges attended opening nights of 146 productions offered by 65 Non-Equity producing organizations. The judges recommended 54 of those shows, making them eligible for Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations. Thirty-three theatre companies received nominations.

Kokandy Productions proudly announces its first two-show season featuring 'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea', April 12 - 28 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2636 N. Southport Ave. and the musical 'The Last Five Years', August 2 - 25 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Ave. Both productions share the theme of relationships, despair and love. K. Hannah Friedman directs 'Danny and the Deep Blue Sea' and John D. Glover directs 'The Last Five Years.'

Pine Box Theater Company continues its 2012/13 season with the world premiere drama 25 SAINTS by Ensemble Member Joshua Rollins, author of Pine Box's smash hit A Girl With Sun In Her Eyes, directed by Ensemble Member Susan E. Bowen, playing now through March 31, 2013 at the Greenhouse Theater Center Upstairs Studio, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. 25 SAINTS features Pine Box Ensemble Member Josh Odor with Danny Goldring, Drew Johnson, Ashley Neal, Caroline Neff, Molly Reynolds and John Ross Wilson. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below!

Steep Theatre Company will kick off the new year with the Midwest Premiere of Obie Award-winner Ethan Lipton's Luther. This darkly comic examination of America's uneasy relationship with our veterans premiered to much critical acclaim last summer in New York as part of the Clubbed Thumb Summerworks 2012 festival. Luther now makes it way to Steep and Chicago for just its second production. Joanie Schultz, director of past Steep hits In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, A Brief History of Helen of Troy, and The Receptionist, returns to direct the production. The show opens at Steep Theatre on Thursday, January 24th and runs through March 2nd.

Due to high demand for tickets, Steppenwolf Theatre Company adds three additional public performances to the world premiere of Markus Zusak'sThe Book Thief, adapted by Heidi Stillman, directed by Hallie Gordon, after selling out all school and public performances-including the previously announced extension. The production now closes on Sunday, November 11 and plays in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St); this is the final extension. Single tickets to the added performances are $20, and go on sale Wednesday, October 24 at 11am through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf for Young Adults' world-premiere stage adaptation of the bestselling novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, adapted by Heidi Stillman. The Book Thief is staged by Hallie Gordon in partnership with Chicago Public Library's One Book, One Chicago and the citywide, season-long Now Is The Time initiative with Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves and other local cultural organizations. The Book Thief runs October 16 - November 9, 2012 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St); the press performance is on October 20 at 3pm. Scroll below for a first look at the production!

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf for Young Adults' world-premiere stage adaptation of the bestselling novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, adapted by Heidi Stillman. The Book Thief is staged by Hallie Gordon in partnership with Chicago Public Library's One Book, One Chicago and the citywide, season-long Now Is The Time initiative with Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves and other local cultural organizations. The Book Thief runs today, October 16 - November 9, 2012 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St); the press performance is on October 20 at 3pm. Author Markus Zusak will participate in a post-show discussion following the 3pm performance on Sunday, October 21. School performances are sold out, and tickets to public performances are limited.

LiveWire Chicago Theatre kicks off its 2012-13 season with the Chicago premiere of THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE, a savagely funny story of love and dirty people by Elizabeth Meriwether, creator and writer of the hit FOX sitcom New Girl and Heddatron, and directed by LiveWire Collective member Krista D'Agostino. This quirky dark comedy plays now through November 3, 2012 at the Greenhouse Theater Center Upstairs Studio, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. The production features LiveWire Artistic Director Joel Ewing and LiveWire Associate Artistic Director Chris Zdenek with Kristin Collins, Fred Geyer and Hilary Williams. For a first look at the production, check out the photos below!

Steppenwolf Theatre Company adds two Friday evening public performances to the world premiere of Markus Zusak'sThe Book Thief, adapted by Heidi Stillman, directed by Hallie Gordon, after selling out all school and public performances. The production is still scheduled to close on Friday, November 9 and plays in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Single tickets to all public performances are $20, and are currently on sale through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.

Rehearsals are underway for Steppenwolf for Young Adults' world-premiere stage adaptation of the bestselling novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, adapted by Heidi Stillman. The Book Thief is staged by Hallie Gordon in partnership with Chicago Public Library's One Book, One Chicago and the citywide, season-long Now Is The Time initiative with Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves and other local cultural organizations. The Book Thief runs October 16 - November 9, 2012 in Steppenwolf's Upstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St); the press performance is on October 20 at 3pm. Author Markus Zusak will participate in a post-show discussion following the 3pm performance on Sunday, October 21. School performances are sold out, and tickets to public performances are limited.