Vanessa Stalling News

Court Theatre has announced updates to its 2020/21 Season in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The reimagined season has Court returning to the stage in February 2021 with Owen McCafferty's Titanic (Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry, 1912), followed by Shakespeare's Othello, and then August Wilson's Two Trains Running.

Asolo Rep, in conjunction with Miami New Drama, presents THE GREAT LEAP, a sharp-witted new drama by award-winning playwright Lauren Yee, directed by Vanessa Stalling. 

Asolo Rep, in conjunction with Miami New Drama, presents THE GREAT LEAP, a sharp-witted new drama by award-winning playwright Lauren Yee. Directed by Vanessa Stalling, THE GREAT LEAP previews March 18 and 19, opens March 20 and runs through April 11 in the Cook Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, announces its 66th season. The company's 2020/21 season will feature the sixth play in August Wilson's American Century Cycle, Two Trains Running, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson; the Americana musical Violet, with book and lyrics by Brian Crawley and music by Jeanine Tesori, directed by Charles Newell; the culmination of Court's Oedipus Trilogy with the Sophocles classic Antigone, directed by Seret Scott; Caryl Churchill's Fen, directed by Vanessa Stalling; and a new production of Shakespeare's Othello, starring Kelvin Roston, Jr. and Timothy Edward Kane, adapted and directed by Charles Newell.

Lisa Loomer's ROE offers a timely exploration of the history behind the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade and the ongoing political debate around abortion and a women's right to choose. While Loomer's text is not necessarily nuanced in the way that it presents the argument around abortion, ROE does consider both sides of this divisive issue. The play is perhaps most compelling in its capacity to pull back the curtain around the original Roe v. Wade case and reveal the case's history. ROE centers on two critical women, the lawyer Sarah Weddington, who was only in her mid-twenties when she brought this case before the Court, and Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff under the pseudonym 'Jane Roe.' Before I saw this play, I had never heard these women's names before. But now, thanks to Loomer's work, I won't soon forget them. For Loomer interestingly not only presents both sides of the United States' debate over a woman's right to choose but also puts forth Sarah and Norma's two differing perspectives on the events that transpired before and after Roe v. Wade was decided.

 Conceived in a pizza parlor and argued in the highest court in the land, the landmark 1973 case of Roe v. Wade legalized abortiona?"and is debated still today. Vanessa Stalling returns to the Goodman to direct the 15-member cast, including emblematic characters of plaintiff Norma McCorvey (a?oeJane Roea??) and Sarah Weddington, the young Texan lawyer who argued the case.

Goodman Theatre continues its 2019/2020 Season this winter with two new plays.

Miami New Drama presents The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder adapted for the stage by David Greenspan- October 24-25, 2019 a?" Preview October 26, 2019 a?" Opening Night through November 17, 2019 Tickets starting at $39. Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre is proud to present THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY, an adventurous adaptation of Thorton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning novel written and starring six-time Obie Award winning playwright, David Greenspan. The multi-faceted tale is turned into a wryly lyrical fable of fate, love, and the transformative magic of theater.

The 51st Annual Jeff Awards Ceremony took place on October 21, 2019, during a spirited evening at Drury Lane Oakbrook. 'Frankenstein,' produced by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, took home five awards, including Best Production a?' Play in the Midsize category. Court Theatre also took home five awards, including the coveted Ensemble Award for 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf' and four awards for a?oePhotograph 51.a?? Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of 'Downstate' received the Jeff Award for Best Production - Play in the Large category. The award for Best Production - Musical in the Large category went to 'Six' at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the award for Best Production - Musical in the Midsize category went to 'Caroline, or Change,' produced by Firebrand Theatre in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company.

Artistic Director Robert Falls announces an update to Goodman Theatre's 2019/2020 Season. The Chicago premiere of School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, originally scheduled for the Owen Theatre, will move into the 856-seat Albert Theatre; the Falls-directed major revival of Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel, originally scheduled for the Albert Theatre, will move into the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre.

Due to popular demand, Victory Gardens Theater announces the extension of its critically acclaimed production of Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail, Nia Vardalos and directed by Vanessa Stalling. Tiny Beautiful Things now runs through October 20, 2019, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS lives in that unique space between the everyday and the extraordinary.

Victory Gardens Theater kicks-off its 45th Anniversary season with the Chicago Premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos and co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail and Nia Vardalos and directed by Vanessa Stalling. Tiny Beautiful Things runs September 6 - October 13, 2019, with press performance on Friday, September 13, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Eleven world premiere plays and musicals seen first by Chicago audiences were among those receiving nominations by the Jeff Awards, announced today. A total of 192 nominations were made in 34 categories that honor Chicago Equity theatrical productions that opened between August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019. During the 2018-19 season, Jeff Awards judges attended opening nights of 132 Equity productions offered by 43 producing organizations and from these openings, 112 productions were a?oeJeff Recommendeda?? and eligible for award nominations.

Victory Gardens Theater under the direction of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Executive Director Erica Daniels, announces casting for its upcoming productions of Tiny Beautiful Things based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted by Nia Vardalos, directed by Vanessa Stalling, The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, and How to Defend Yourself by liliana padilla, directed by Marti Lyons.

Victory Gardens Theater kicks-off its 45th Anniversary season with the Chicago Premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos and co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail and Nia Vardalos and directed by Vanessa Stalling. Tiny Beautiful Things runs September 6 a?" October 13, 2019, with press performance on Friday, September 13, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Goodman Theatre announces a line-up of free readings written by members of its Playwrights Unit-a year-long residency for Chicago-based writers to develop their plays-in-progress with the Goodman's artistic team, in partnership with Chicago Dramatists. Members of the 2018/2019 Playwrights Unit include Georgette Kelly, Dianne Nora, Marisela Treviño Orta and Stacey Rose. Free, one-time-only readings take place July 5-7 at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn); to make a reservation call 312.443.3800 or visit GoodmanTheatre.org/PlaywrightsUnitReadings. Availability is extremely limited. More information about each writer follows; headshots can be found in the Press Room.

Victory Gardens Theater kicks-off its 45th season with the Chicago Premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book byCheryl Strayed, adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail and Nia Vardalos and directed byVanessa Stalling. Tiny Beautiful Things runs September 6 - October 13, 2019, with press performance on Friday, September 13, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Last night the heaven's opened the flood gates and it rained as if a hurricane was upon us in Miami, Florida. I have never seen so many lightning bolts nor that much flooding on I-95. Although not many people braved the storm, I was proud to be among the few that came to watch the Adrienne Arsht Center and The House Theatre of Chicago's UNITED FLIGHT 232. In one word, exquisite. The storytelling was incredibly inspired. I have a brand new appreciation and love for documentary style theatre. In the intimate Carnival Studio Theatre, it was hard not to hear the very visceral response the audience was having. As tears ran down my face, I could hear the muffled sounds of crying as the remarkable cast told the true story of fatal United Flight 232. It's adapted for the stage from the critically acclaimed book, Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival by Laurence Gonzales.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and The House Theatre of Chicago are proud to present UNITED FLIGHT 232. Playing May 4-May 19, 2019 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House), UNITED FLIGHT 232 closes Center's 2018-2019 Theater Up Close Series. Based on the true story of fatal United Flight 232 and adapted from the critically acclaimed book, Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival by Laurence Gonzales, this award-winning play depicts the power of the human spirit to defy unimaginable obstacles and transcend tragedy.