Tony Santiago News

Arts + Public Life welcomes fourteen multidisciplinary Chicago artists and organizations as 2022-23 Performance Residents at The Green Line Performing Arts Center. Alyssa Gregory, Chris 'Mad Dog' Thompson, Chio Cabrera, Tatsu Aoki, Imani Davis, Rachel Gadson, Sharyon Culberson, Mike Atcherson, Marcus Banks, Chloe Mikala, Justin Walker, Roe Hudson, Cam Be, and Neek will collaborate, create, and present over two dozen performances between June 2022 and March 2023.

Today, Walder Foundation announced a new virtual performance series called “Chicago Takes 10,” curated by a diverse set of performing arts organizations. Grantee organizations will identify artists to feature in bi-weekly performances that will stream live at www.chicagotakes10.org. The series kicks off on Thursday, March 18 at 6 p.m. All performances will include live chats where viewers can interact with the artists.

As the world collectively plans to close the door (and maybe throw away the key?) on 2020, Studio Theatre offers a reflection on this complicated, unexpected, and consequential moment in history with the world premiere of I Hate It Here: Stories from the End of the Old World, a Studio-commissioned audio play written and directed by Ike Holter.

Arts + Public Life, an initiative of UChicago Arts, and Definition Theatre Company announce Definition as the resident theatre company for Fall 2020/Winter 2021 at the Green Line Performing Arts Center, 329 E Garfield Blvd in Chicago.

It seems only fitting that Ike Holter would conclude his seven-play "Rightlynd Saga," set in the fictional 51st Ward of Chicago, by literally sending it off with a party. And this is no ordinary celebration. A cast of characters from previous installments in the "Rightlynd Saga" gathers in Mallory's backyard; she's the neighborhood's maternal figure, and she's poised to give away a sizable sum of money to one lucky winner.

"Not everyone will go home a winner" in Goodman Theatre's world-premiere production of Lottery Day by Ike Holter, which appears through April 28 in the Owen Theatre. Holter concludes his seven-play "Rightlynd Saga"-the first play of which premiered five years ago, and has been hailed as "one of the most significant literary achievements in modern-day Chicago" (Chicago Tribune)-with a raucous theatrical bash, directed by Chicago native Lili-Anne Brown. Commissioned by the Goodman and developed through its New Stages Festival of new plays, Lottery Day takes place in a Rightlynd backyard where new characters and returning characters from the saga come together to create a work about the cost of belonging and the gift of community. Lottery Day appears through April 28 in the Owen Theatre.

Goodman Theatre proudly announces the casts for its Chicago premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Sweat by Lynn Nottage, directed by Ron OJ Parson, as well as its world premiere of Lottery Day-Ike Holter's final work in his seven-play "The Rightlynd Saga," directed by Lili-Anne Brown. Tickets are now available for both productions at GoodmanTheatre.org, by telephone 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 N. Dearborn).

Art service organization Chicago Arts Access (freetix.org) celebrates its milestone achievement of providing 1,000 tickets on freetix.org to live art performance in Chicago and announces a full season of partnerships for 2018-19. These partnerships include providing free tickets to performances by Goodman Theatre, Firebrand Theatre, Jackalope, Prop Theater, Haven Theatre, Escape Artistry, TimeLine Theatre, Nothing Without A Company, and First Floor Theatre.

Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Urban League's collaborative program, EmpowerYouth! Igniting Creativity through the Arts, is excited to present Empower, an original opera developed with local African-American high-school students. Tickets are $10-20 and are available here for the one-night-only performance, which will take place Thursday, May 31 at 7:00pm at the Lyric Opera House. 

16th Street Theater announces the opening of Ike Holter's THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK directed by Lili-Anne Brown March 29 - May 5, 2018 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn with a press opening of Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 PM.

16th Street Theater announces the opening of Ike Holter's THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK directed by Lili-Anne Brown March 29 - May 5, 2018 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn with a press opening of Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 PM.  

The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Trevor Dawkins' A Story Told in Seven Fights, directed by Tony Santiago, playing at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., March 1 April 7. Previews are Thursday, March 1 Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night Monday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. The running time is currently 80 minutes. Performances run Thursdays Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for previews and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can; for the regular run, tickets are $10-25. Tickets and information are available at neofuturists.org or 773.275.5255.

In September, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Urban League announced EmpowerYouth! Igniting Creativity through the Arts, a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership that immerses African American youth in the creation of an original opera based on their own life experiences. Collaboratively planned and administered by Lyric Unlimited, Lyric's community engagement and education arm, and the Chicago Urban League's Youth Development Center, EmpowerYouth! is a multidisciplinary afterschool program that will culminate in the presentation of a fully staged, youth-centric opera on May 31 at the Lyric Opera House.

On July 13, 2017 new creative arts ensemble The Roustabouts will drop the world premiere of Put Your House In Order by Ike Holter in a limited five-show run, in coordination with A Red Orchid Theatre's Incubator.

Following their surprise world-premiere announcement of Ike Holter's Put Your House In Order, new creative arts ensemble The Roustabouts have sold out their limited run in less than 24 hours.

On July 13, 2017 new creative arts ensemble The Roustabouts will drop the world premiere of Put Your House In Order by Ike Holter in a limited five-show run, in coordination with A Red Orchid Theatre's Incubator.

A Red Orchid Theatre announces its 25th Anniversary Season.

First Floor Theater will kick off their fifth season with DEER AND THE LOVERS, a rollicking and revelatory world premiere farce fromEmily Zemba, directed by Company Member Jesse Roth. DEER AND THE LOVERS will play now through December 4, 2016 at The Den Theatre, 1333 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. The press opening is tonight, November 9 at 7:30pm, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

First Floor Theater is excited to announce the cast of the first play of their fifth season,THE DEER AND THE LOVERS, a rollicking and revelatory world premiere from Emily Zemba, directed by Company MemberJesse Roth.

First Floor Theater is excited to announce the cast of the first play of their fifth season,THE DEER AND THE LOVERS, a rollicking and revelatory world premiere from Emily Zemba, directed by Company MemberJesse Roth.