Seth Bockley News

Continuing with its new 'incite change' mission, Collaboraction presents SKETCHBOOK: 2049, a rapid-fire, raucous festival of 17 world premiere theatre pieces ranging from under a minute to 20 minutes in length, all set in a positive post-apocalypse and reflective of contemporary society's current challenges. Collaboraction's annual SKETCHBOOK festival is Collaboraction at its best: breaking down the walls that divide theater, music, visual art, video and the internet. Selected from hundreds of submissions, SKETCHBOOK once again brings together the collective talents of more than 150 pioneering and established directors, designers, actors, musicians and artists from Chicago and around the country for two jaw-dropping programs packed with creativity, experimentation and celebration.

Goodman Theatre announces that a new production of The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman, Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter and author and Academy Award nominee, completes its 90th Anniversary 'Season to Celebrate.' Goodman Artistic Associate Henry Wishcamper directs the 1939 classic American Southern drama that 'could not be more timely, as the play's social skewering remains satisfyingly fresh' (Los Angeles Times). The Little Foxes is slated to appear May 2 - June 7, 2015 as the fourth production in the 2014/2015 Season, followed by Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which runs June 20 - July 26, 2015.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that performances of the New York premiere of The Few, written by Samuel D. Hunter and directed by Davis McCallum, begin tonight at 7pm at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place. The official opening night is set for Thursday, May 8 at 7pm; The Few is scheduled to run through Sunday, June 8.

The Foundry Theatre presents a play that exemplifies the company's work: Marcus Gardley's The Box: A Black Comedy. The play, directed by Seth Bockley (writer of February House, director of Philip Dawkins' Failure: A Love Story at Victory Gardens), is a hilarious satire that delivers a punch to the gut of U.S. policing and imprisonment. Written for five actors who perform over a dozen characters spanning generations of captivity and freedom dreams, The Box: A Black Comedy is currently making its world premiere, through May 11 at the Irondale Center (85 South Oxford St., Brooklyn).

Pivot Arts launches its second annual celebration of innovative performance events, May 28 - June 14, throughout Chicago's Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. The PIVOT ARTS FESTIVAL serves to bring audiences together for unique performance events. This year the festival's focus highlights the intersection between the performing arts and science. Tickets go on sale for "Art Meets Science" April 20, with a range of free events and entrance fees no higher than $15 per event. To purchase tickets and for complete festival information, visit www.pivotarts.org/festival or call 773.609.0782.

Casting has been announced for The Hub Theatre's spring production of Philip Dawkins musical, macabre comedy, FAILURE: A LOVE STORY. A trio of sisters played by TIA SHEARER (Jenny June), MAGGIE ERWIN (Nellie) and CAROLYN KASHNER (Gertie) guide us through this wonderful fable of love and life as they all lose their hearts to a gentleman caller embodied by the ever-magnetic MICHAEL KEVIN DARNALL (Mortimer Mortimer). The family is made whole with CHRIS STINSON (John N.) an adopted brother and ROSE MCCONNELL as the melodic Gramaphone

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater Artistic Director David Van Asselt and Managing Director Brian Long have announced that the New York premiere of The Few, written by Samuel D. Hunter and directed by Davis McCallum, will begin previews Wednesday, April 23 at 7pm at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place. The official opening night is set for Thursday, May 8 at 7pm; The Few is scheduled to run through Sunday, June 8.

Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Chris Mannelli announce Victory Gardens Theater's 40th Anniversary Season, a line-up of 5 plays in the subscription series by VG Resident Playwrights Samuel Hunter and Marcus Gardley; Colm Toibin, Lauren Yee and Ayad Akhtar.

Sideshow Theatre Company concludes its 2013-14 season with the world premiere of TYRANT by Artistic Associate Kathleen Akerley, co-directed by Kathleen Akerley and Ensemble Member Megan A. Smith, playing May 24 - June 29, 2014 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets for TYRANT go on sale Monday, March 24 at www.theaterwit.org, in person at the Theater Wit Box Office or by calling 773-975-8150.

Continuing with its new 'incite change' mission, Collaboraction presents SKETCHBOOK 14: 2049 with 18 world premiere theatre pieces addressing a wide range of contemporary social issues. Collaboraction's 14th annual SKETCHBOOK festival will transport audiences to 2049, a post-apocalyptic world of regeneration and birth, where 18 shows from the past are being staged to remember the way we were before the Revolution.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has announced the Cycle A recipients for the third round of Global Connections. Supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this grant program encourages reciprocity and cultural exchange throughout the world through ON the ROAD grants to foster new relationships with international colleagues and IN the LAB grants to further pre-existing international collaborations. Now in its third year, the Global Connections program awarded up to $5,000 to seven projects through ON the ROAD and $10,000 to three projects through IN the LAB.

The question of who determines a child's fate amidst drug addiction, religion and child custody laws takes center stage in Rebecca Gilman's newest work, Luna Gale, directed by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls.

Goodman Theatre introduces a new subscription package for 2014, 'Great Women at Play,' featuring works written and directed by a handful of the most popular female playwrights working in the American theater today. This special package for women-and men-includes five plays for the price of four, a complimentary visit to the exclusive Goodman Lounge and the opportunity to win a $100 gift certificate from the Goodman's preferred restaurant partner, Petterino's. Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/GreatWomen for more information, and check out a video of the artists involved below!

Goodman Theatre heats up 2014 with Venus in Fur-a "smart, sexy, sinister comedy" (Vogue) and "suspense-packed study of the erotics (and the semiotics) of power" (New York Times)-penned by theatrical mastermind David Ives. In her Goodman mainstage debut, Joanie Schultz directs the Chicago premiere production of the Broadway triumph that earned two Tony nominations, two Drama League nominations and a Drama Desk nomination. Rufus Collins (Broadway's The Royal Family and To Be or Not To Be) portrays playwright/director Thomas Novachek and Amanda Drinkall (Great Expectations at Strawdog Theatre Company, Measure for Measure at the Goodman;) portrays Vanda Jordan-the preternaturally talented actress whose audition for the gifted-but-demanding playwright/director's new work becomes an electrifying game of cat and mouse that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, seduction and power, love and sex. The design team includes Todd Rosenthal (set), Mikhail Fiksel (sound), Jenny Mannis (costumes) and Keith Parham (lights). Alden Vasquez is the production stage manager and Kathleen Petroziello is the stage manager. Headshots and bio information can be found in the Press Room. Venus in Fur runs March 8 - April 13 in the Albert Theatre (opening night is Monday, March 18). Tickets ($25-$86; subject to change) go on sale January 24, 2014 and can be purchased at GoodmanTheatre.org/Venus, by phone at312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn). Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is the Major Corporate Sponsor for Venus in Fur.

Red Tape Theatre (RTT) continues their 10th Anniversary Season with the US premiere of hamlet is dead. no gravity by Ewald Palmetshofer, translated by Neil Blackadder and directed by Seth Bockley. The show will run January 27-February 22, 2014.

A new crop of local talent joins Goodman Theatre's artistic team for the 2013/2014 Season. The four Chicago-based writers named to the fourth season of the Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency program designed to support and develop new works-include Andrew Hinderaker, Gift Theatre ensemble member; Mickle Maher, cofounder of Theater Oobleck; Anne Garcia-Romero, a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists; and Laura Schellhardt, who oversees undergraduate playwriting at Northwestern University. A partnership with Chicago Dramatists, the Playwrights Unit meets twice per month with members of the Goodman's artistic team to discuss their plays-in-progress and provide feedback for one another. The program includes readings of the playwrights' works-in-progress at Chicago Dramatists in early 2014, and culminates in summer 2014 with staged readings of their completed works at the Goodman. Playwrights Unit alumni include Greg Allen, Alice Austen, Ike Holter and Christopher Oscar Peña (2012/2013 Season); Philip Dawkins, Nambi E. Kelley, Elaine Romero and Martin Zimmerman (2011/2012 Season); and Seth Bockley, Lisa Dillman, Laura Jacqmin and Rohina Malik (2010/2011 Season).

Now in its 10th year, Goodman Theatre's 2013 New Stages festival features five FREE new plays-two fully staged workshop productions performed in repertory plus three staged readings-in the Owen Theatre, today, December 7 - 22.

The most wonderful time of the year is underway as rehearsals begin this week for Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol, 'a joyous present for the entire family' (Chicago Sun-Times), in its 36th annual production. Directing the holiday favorite for the first time, Henry Wishcamper's production features all-new on stage magic-set elements, special effects and more. The cast of 27 (below, includes 14 new and 13 returning cast members) stars Larry Yando, who most recently appeared in Mary Zimmerman's production of The Jungle Book as Shere Khan, in his sixth turn as Ebenezer Scrooge and 8-year-old Matthew Abraham as Tiny Tim for the second year. A Christmas Carol runs tonight, November 16 - December 28 in the Goodman's Albert Theatre.

CELEBRATION THEATRE in association with Bruce W. Zisterer, Nicholas Caprio, Cameron Faber, Samantha Kern & Todd Milliner are thrilled to announce that the critically-acclaimed, West Coast premiere of THE HOMOSEXUALS, written by Philip Dawkins and directed by Michael Matthews is EXTENNDING through Saturday, December 21 at the Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. in Los Angeles, 90039. THE HOMOSEXUALS is a wildly funny and heartwarming play that explores various friendships through the lens of sexual tension. On his first night in a Mid-western city, Evan meets a circle of men who become his closest friends and potential lovers. This Joseph Jefferson award nominee for Best New Work is for anyone who's ever fallen in love with a friend. In other words, it's a play for everyone, straights, homosexuals and everyone in between!

Goodman Theatre announces the complete line-up for its 2013 New Stages festival, this year celebrating Latino playwrights. Three staged readings-The Rooster Room by Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegria Hudes, Feathers and Teeth by Charise Castro Smith and Another Word for Beauty by Jose Rivera-complement the previously-announced two fully-staged workshop productions, The Upstairs Concierge by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz and The Solid Sand Below by former Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit member Martin Zimmerman.