Steppenwolf is now accepting applications for Garage Rep 2015

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is now accepting applications for Garage Rep 2015, which presents the work of three of Chicago’s most innovative emerging theater companies in rotating repertory under Steppenwolf’s banner. Chicago theater companies with a track record of production excellence and inventive approaches to attracting audiences are encouraged to apply. The sixth annual Garage Rep is presented in Steppenwolf’s Garage Theatre, March – April 2015 (specific dates to be announced at a later date).

All companies interested in applying are welcome to attend an informational meeting at 6:30pm on April 17, 2014 in Steppenwolf’s Yondorf Rehearsal Hall (758 W North Ave); members of Steppenwolf’s staff will discuss the application and selection process, and Garage Rep alumni will share their experiences.

For applications and more information about Garage Rep 2015, visit steppenwolf.org/apply4grep.

Applications are due by 5pm on May 30, 2014.

Companies selected for Garage Rep 2015 are provided with mentorship in artistic producing, dramaturgy, marketing and media relations, production, strategic and financial management, and fundraising. With this program, Steppenwolf aims to learn about what excites the next generation; to introduce Steppenwolf audiences to the selected companies’ work and their audiences to ours; and above all, to contribute to the ongoing vibrancy of Chicago’s theater ecology.

Performance Space Available at Rivendell Theatre beginning July through early September 2014

Intimate fifty-seat theatre comes with full lighting package and sound equipment, beautiful exposed brick lobby, dressing rooms, air conditioning and heat, WiFi, and wheelchair accessibility. Close to Red line stop at Bryn Mawr and Clark street bus and free parking available at Senn High School. Location: 5779 North Ridge Avenue in Edgewater Availability: Beginning July 2014 through Labor day.
Contact: Steve Mistec at misetic@msn.com / 847-477-8445
For more information, visit Rivendell Theatre on ChicagoSpaces.org

Industry Ticket Offers

Water By The Spoonful - Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave, is offering $10 rush tickets starting one hour before performances to industry professionals to all performances through April 6. Offer is subject to rush ticket availability and is limited to one per industry member with proof of industry. Best availability for Wednesday, 3/26 at 7:30, Friday, 3/28 at 8:00 and Saturday, 3/29 at 3:00 p.m.

Chapatti - Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd.  is offering $15 tickets for theatre industry professionals on Sunday, April 6 at 7pm. Offer available by phone (847.673.6300) or walk-up, must mention the code INDUSTRY to reserve. Proof of industry (headshot, business card, etc.) required upon ticket pickup.

33 rpm and a few seconds by Rabih Mroué and Lina Saneh – MCA Stage, 220 E. Chicago Avenue, is offering $10 industry tickets to all three performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 10-12 at 7:30 PM. Discount available with code RABIH online at boxoffice.mcachicago.org, or over the phone at 312-397-4010.

Principal Principle - Stage Left Theatre and Theatre Seven of Chicago at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.,  is offering $15 industry tickets for all preview performances (Sat Apr 12th - Thurs April 17th), and Thursdays 4/24, 5/1, and 5/8. $15 online, over the phone or in person with code "copier" or proof of industry affiliation at box office.

Victory Gardens Theater Announces Call for Submissions for 2014 Ignition Festival

Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew announces a call for submissions of new, challenging, and innovative plays to be a part of the 2014 IGNITION Festival of New Plays, which will take place July 21-27, 2014. The fourth IGNITION festival will create a productive environment for both emerging and established playwrights to explore and develop their new work. The deadline for submission is Thursday, May 15, 2014.

INGITION’s six selected plays will be presented in a festival of readings scheduled for summer 2014 and will be directed by leading artists from Chicago and around the country. Following the readings, two of the plays will be selected for intensive workshops during Victory Gardens 2014/15 season, and Victory Gardens will produce one of these final scripts in an upcoming season.

For More Information and Submissions Submission can be mailed to:
IGNITION, Victory Gardens Theater
2433 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60614.

Work can also be submitted electronically to ignition@victorygardens.org

All submissions must be received by May 15, 2014. For more information about IGNITION Festival of New Plays, visit www.victorygardens.org.

Industry Ticket Offers

The Great God Pan - Next Theatre Company, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL - is offering $15 industry tickets on Thursdays at 7:30pm until May 11th . Buy online or call the Next Theatre Box Office at 847-475-1875 Ext. 2 and use the code INDUSTRY when ordering. Visit nexttheatre.org for more information.

American Myth - American Blues Theater at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln, is offering $10 industry tickets for all Thurs - Sat 7:30pm performances. Use promo code INDUSTRY when purchasing tickets. Call (773) 404-7336 or online. For more information, click here.

Hedda Gabler – Writers Theatre – 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, is offering $20 industry tickets to the performances on March 25th at 7:30pm and March 30th at 6pm. Call our Box Office at 847-242-6000 and mention the Industry discount. Please bring a headshot, resume, or business card as proof of your involvement in the industry. Subject to availability.

Brahman/i - About Face Theatre and Silk Road Rising, Pierce Hall at the Historic Chicago Temple Building, 77 W Washington, St., are offering $10 industry tickets for previews performances, March 27 - 30. Use code INDUSTRY online or by sending an email to boxoffice@silkroadrising.org.

Our Class - Remy Bumppo Theatre at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., is offering $15 industry tickets to all previews (April 2-6) and all Friday nights of the regular run through May 11. To reserve use the codeword “Industry” either online at www.RemyBumppo.org or when calling the Greenhouse at 773-404-7336.

Russian Transport - Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, is offering 2-for-1 tickets to SONO Sundays: Russian Transport + SONO specials! Just use code “SUNDAYS” for 2-for-1 tickets to ANY Sunday evening performance of Russian Transport PLUS, show your ticket stub at SONO (1582 N Clybourn) before the show for half-priced bottles of wine and one complimentary Bruschetta per person.

Aladdin - Houston Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway, is offering $25 industry tickets for performances March 22-23. Use code INDUSTRY. Tickets available online at AuditoriumTheatre.org, by calling (800) 982-2787, or at the box office at 50 E Congress Pkwy.

Director/Dramatist Exchange at Steppenwolf Theatre

Monday, April 7, 7 PM to 9 PM
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Administrative Offices
758 W. North Avenue, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL

The event will be co-hosted by Douglas Post (Chicago Regional Rep, DG) and Elizabeth Margolius (Co-Founder/Artistic Director of DirectorsLabChicago).This two-hour networking session will introduce directors to dramatists who are working on new plays and/or new musicals in the Chicago area. After a brief introduction, dramatists and directors may mingle and talk further.

If you would like to attend, please e-mail us at: info@directorslabchicago.com no later than Monday, March 31, 2014.

The first 15 directors who respond will receive a reservation to the event. In order to secure a reservation, you must submit a statement with your initial e-mail. Please include this statement in the body of your email. This one-page statement should consist of three things: (1) your contact information, (2) your professional biography (one paragraph only, written in the third person) and (3) a brief directorial statement describing your aesthetic and the kind of work that excites you. After we receive these materials, your reservation will be confirmed. Then, prior to the event, you will receive statements from all the dramatists as well as statements from the other attending directors.

There is no fee to attend this event. Drinks will be served!!

AEA Riding the Solo Express Workshop

The AEA Central Member Education Committee Presents “RIDING THE SOLO EXPRESS”

Saturday, March 29, 2014
10 AM – 1 PM CST
Actors’ Equity Building, 557 W Randolph, Chicago, 60661

Ready to Produce your one-person show? Not sure how to go about it? Where to perform? Best Marketing? How to fund it or find Co-Producers?

Gather Producing information from successful solo artists Michael Fosberg, Suzanne Petri, Ron Keaton, plus producers Will Rogers (Victory Gardens), Sharon Evans (Fillet of Solo creator), and David Rice (First Folio Theatre).

Time to expand your Artistry and grow your Income. You bring the questions. We’ll help find some answers.

This workshop is open to Equity Members and Equity Member Candidates. Admission to non-Equity actors will be as space permits. Please RSVP to centralrsvp@actorsequity.org or by calling 312-641-0393, Ext 240. (For more information contact Diane Dorsey at Dmdorsey@aol.com)

Music of John Bucchino Master Class

John Bucchino is BACK! Broadway composer and songwriter, John Bucchino returns to his Chicago home at Porchlight Music Theatre with another Music of John Bucchino Master Class

Singers, $125
Non-student auditors, $25

12 singers maximum, limited number of auditors based on capacity Saturday, March 22nd
4:30 – 8pm
Location: Porchlight Rehearsal Studio, 4200 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60639
Parking available on the street and in the adjacent lot.

During our Chicago Premiere of John's musical "A Catered Affair," he offered his first ever Chicago Master Class, which sold-out within an hour. Here is another opportunity to study with the master composer who gave us the scores for the musicals URBAN MYTHS, LAVENDER GIRL, Broadway’s A CATERED AFFAIR (nominated for 12 Drama Desk Awards, and winner of the New York Drama League Award for Best Musical, with a book by Harvey Fierstein), IT’S ONLY LIFE, and the Dreamworks animated film JOSEPH, KING OF DREAMS, and lyrics for the children’s musical SIMEON’S GIFT (with a book by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and music by Ian Fraser). Some recordings of his work are: GRATEFUL, THE SONGS OF JOHN BUCCHINO (with companion songbook), SOLITUDE LESSONS (another collection of original songs), ON RICHARD RODGERS’ PIANO (solo piano interpretations of Rodgers songs on the composer’s own Steinway, voted Best Instrumental CD by Show Business Weekly), and the PS Classics releases of the cast albums of IT’S ONLY LIFE (with companion songbook) and A CATERED AFFAIR. As part of their Julie Andrews Collection, Harper Collins published a children's book, based on John’s song, called “Grateful, A Song of Giving Thanks” which was awarded the Parents’ Choice Gold Award.

John Bucchino's songs have been performed and recorded by renowned pop (Art Garfunkel, Judy Collins), theatre (Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald), cabaret (Barbara Cook, Michael Feinstein), and classical (Yo-Yo Ma, Deborah Voight, Nathan Gunn) artists as well as The Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in venues including Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera, The Hollywood Bowl, The Sydney Opera House, London’s O2 Arena, and The White House.

Among his honors are two Drama Desk nominations, The Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award, The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, The Jonathan Larson Award, The Kleban Award, The Los Angeles Ovation Award (for the revue IT’S ONLY LIFE), The DVD Premiere Award (for the song “Better Than I”), and the first annual Fred Ebb Award.

How to Participate:
Singing Participants will be chosen by lottery. Submit your interest in coaching with John Bucchino here by Monday, March 17, 5pm by clicking the link below. You will be notified either way if you have been selected to participate by Tuesday, March 18, 6pm. As part of your registration, you will be asked to submit two John Bucchino song selections for his review and approval. If chosen to participate in the Master Class, John will select which of the two songs he will work with you in the Master Class. (Please have the second song prepared as well).

Auditors may reserve their seats by registering here.

Stockyards Theatre Project Play for Keeps Writing Workshop

There will be a kick off event on April 7 at 7:30 in Unity Lutheran (1212 W. Balmoral), which is where we held last years workshop. The purpose of this is to get new people interested in the workshop and to announce our new location and dates of the workshop at the Public House Theatre
THE ACTUAL PLAY FOR KEEPS WORKSHOP AT PUBLIC HOUSE THEATRE RUNS ON:
SUNDAYS - April 27, May 4, 18, June 1, 15, & 22
TIME - 4-6PM.
READING DATE AND TIME: There will be a staged reading at The Public House of the works created during the workshop which is open to the public with a $7 price tag. Depending on the size of the workshop therefore the amount of material to be presented we could run over 4 nights. But at this point I don't believe those dates have been chosen but we are looking at mid to late July.
RUN TIME: The workshop will last for two hours
INTERMISSION: N/A
AGE LIMIT: No age limit
TICKET PRICE: Participation in the workshop is $25
WORKSHOP SYNOPSIS: Launched in 2006, Stockyards Theatre Projects’ Play for Keeps was created to assist female actors in creating material for themselves rather than being at the mercy of the lack of roles for women. The program has grown over the years including continued participants who return to refine their projects; seasoned writers whose work has gone on to be performed all over the country and win awards; male writers who would like to expand their creative vision and write material for a sorely under represented group. Play for Keeps continues to fulfill the Stockyards mission to give volume to the voices of women by creating positive, substantial roles in plays for women performers.
GROUP HOOK: The mission statement of Stockyards Theatre Project is "Giving volume to the voices of women"
GROUP BIOGRAPHY: Stockyards Theatre Project began in 1999 and over the years we have produced a number of world premieres as well as assisted writers in developing new projects. Our works have ranged from comedies to dramatic works and original musicals. One of the cornerstone elements of the company is our workshop program called Play for Keeps. One of the projects that spent a season in Play for Keeps went on to a full production off Broadway. In 2011 “Conversations with Myself’ was presented at The University of Chicago's Theater and Performance Studies Program and was developed from three one-act plays created in Play for Keep. The company is working on a full production of this piece in the near future. Stockyards is truly excited to present Play for Keep for the first time at the Public House Theatre and hopes to have the opportunity to call this home in the future.

For a more detailed history please check out our website - www.stockyardstheatreproject.org

Industry Ticket Offers

Salvage by Joseph Zettelmaier - First Folio Theatre at Mayslake Hall, Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W 31st St, Oak Brook, is offering $10 industry tickets Weds. evenings at 8 PM on March 26, April 2, 9, 16. Tickets are on an "as available" basis and may be purchased no sooner than 48 hours in advance. Professionals must bring a union card, a headshot/resume, tech resume, or business card indicating employment in the theater business. Tickets may be purchased by calling 630-986-8067.

reWILDing Genius – The New Colony at the Steppenwolf Garage, 1624 N. Halsted, is offering exclusive 2-for-1 industry tickets on Wednesday, March 12 at 8pm. Industry tickets are available with code BARRACUDA online or by calling 312-335-1650.

Folk Bound - Duplicity Ensemble at Zoo Studios, 4001 N Ravenswood in Chicago, is offering $15 industry tickets for all performances and a limited number of $10 industry tickets for the performance on Monday, April 7th at 8:00PM. Visit http://www.duplicityensemble.org for more information.

Remy Bumppo Rehearsal Space Available Starting March 13.

Remy Bumppo's rehearsal space at 3717 N Ravenswood has availability starting March 13, mostly in the evening. Rates vary from $11 - $16 per hour, depending on hours scheduled per week. Approximately 800 sq ft, close to Addison Brown Line. Contact Rachel Thomas at rthomas@remybumppo.org or 773-244-8119.

Rehearsal Studios in the Loop available for Rental

Chicago College of Performing Arts Wabash Studios at Roosevelt University are available for rental May through August. There are two 68’ x 24’ studios and two 32’ x 26’ studios suitable for rehearsals, etc. For rates, hours, and availability, please email rutheatre@roosevelt.edu .