A blog from the League of Chicago Theatres featuring information and resources for Chicago theatre artists, administrators and theatre companies.
Showing posts with label community events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community events. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Chicago Theatre Intern Networking Event
Monday, November 12, 6-8PM
Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier
800 E. Grand Ave.
The Chicago Theatre Intern Networking Event brings together interns and apprentices in the Chicago theatre community to make new professional connections and learn from the experience of established artists and administrators who are working in the city. Attendees will learn what makes Chicago unique from other theatre communities and how can you thrive here and succeed. Meet and network with colleagues at other theatres and take part in breakout group discussions covering areas of Artistic/Casting, Development/Special Events, Education/Outreach, Literary Management/Dramaturgy, Marketing/PR, Production Management, Stage Management, Theatre Management and Technical/Design. Refreshments will be provided.
This event is FREE but space is limited! Please pass along to your company's interns.
RSVP Here: https://goo.gl/forms/l0r1EyRuH5i8Oo813
Thursday, March 22, 2018
In Conversation with Q2Q Cartoonist Steven Younkins
Mon, April 2, 2018 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM CDT
Steppenwolf's Merle Reskin Rehearsal Space
1624 North Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60614
The Stage Managers’ Association (SMA), in partnership with The League of Chicago Theatres, presents In Conversation with Q2Q Cartoonist Steven Younkins on Monday, April 2nd in Chicago, Illinois. The conversation will be held at Steppenwolf's Merle Reskin Rehearsal Space and led by Joe Drummond.
This is an opportunity for the Chicago Theatre community to learn about Steven's inspirations and the backstories for his Q2Q characters.
The event is free and open to the public, but all attendees must have a ticket. Advanced reservations are strongly recommended as seating is limited. Limit 1 ticket per person/email address.
Click here to RSVP
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Black Ensemble and Steppenwolf co-produce community event to fight the "isms"
Black Ensemble Theater and Steppenwolf Theatre Company announce
Chicago’s Theater Community Coming Together to Fight the Ism’s
"Highlighting Racism"
A one-night only event Sponsored by
The Alphawood Foundation and MacArthur Foundation
Featuring presentations from Teatro Vista, About Face Theatre, Black Ensemble Theater, Her Story Theatre, Firebrand Theatre, and more
Monday, September 25, 2017
6:00pm event; 7:00pm reception and networking
On Monday, September 25, the Chicago theater community will come together to fight racism in a special event co-produced by Black Ensemble Theater and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. This special one-night-event, Chicago’s Theater Community Coming Together to Fight the Ism’s "Highlighting Racism," will begin with a presentation at 6:00pm followed by a reception and networking at approximately 7:00 p.m. at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street. The event is free and open to the public.
This one-night-only event will focus on a positive experience to explore racism and and other oppressions, and includes performances and presentations from area companies including Teatro Vista, About Face Theatre, Black Ensemble Theater, Her Story Theatre and Firebrand Theatre. Featured speakers include Tyronne Stoudemire (Vice President Global Diversity and Inclusion, Hyatt Corporation) and Angelique Powers (President, The Field Foundation and Co-Founder of Enrich). There will be an opportunity for audience participation in this transformative evening. The evening was motivated by recent discussion within the Chicago theater community regarding racism and offers the entire community, including artists, administrators and critics the opportunity to come together and communicate positively and productively.
Tickets for this event are FREE and open to the public. Tickets must be reserved. To reserve tickets go to blackensembletheater.org/fighttheisms. Or visit the Black Ensemble Theater website at www.blackensemble.org.
Featuring presentations from Teatro Vista, About Face Theatre, Black Ensemble Theater, Her Story Theatre, Firebrand Theatre, and more
Monday, September 25, 2017
6:00pm event; 7:00pm reception and networking
On Monday, September 25, the Chicago theater community will come together to fight racism in a special event co-produced by Black Ensemble Theater and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. This special one-night-event, Chicago’s Theater Community Coming Together to Fight the Ism’s "Highlighting Racism," will begin with a presentation at 6:00pm followed by a reception and networking at approximately 7:00 p.m. at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street. The event is free and open to the public.
This one-night-only event will focus on a positive experience to explore racism and and other oppressions, and includes performances and presentations from area companies including Teatro Vista, About Face Theatre, Black Ensemble Theater, Her Story Theatre and Firebrand Theatre. Featured speakers include Tyronne Stoudemire (Vice President Global Diversity and Inclusion, Hyatt Corporation) and Angelique Powers (President, The Field Foundation and Co-Founder of Enrich). There will be an opportunity for audience participation in this transformative evening. The evening was motivated by recent discussion within the Chicago theater community regarding racism and offers the entire community, including artists, administrators and critics the opportunity to come together and communicate positively and productively.
Tickets for this event are FREE and open to the public. Tickets must be reserved. To reserve tickets go to blackensembletheater.org/fighttheisms. Or visit the Black Ensemble Theater website at www.blackensemble.org.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
2012 Chicago Cultural Plan Theatre Community Meeting
Monday, March 12, 6:00 PM
Harold Washington Library
400 S State, Multi-Purpose Room B
Please come to a meeting for the theatre community to discuss issues, ideas, policies and other items we would like to see included in the 2012 Cultural Plan for the City of Chicago. This meeting is for us to come together in advance of some of the neighborhood meetings and the discipline specific focus group meetings. Please come prepared to discuss issues that affect you, your segment of the industry and others.
RSVP to ben@chicagoplays.com to attend.
Harold Washington Library
400 S State, Multi-Purpose Room B
Please come to a meeting for the theatre community to discuss issues, ideas, policies and other items we would like to see included in the 2012 Cultural Plan for the City of Chicago. This meeting is for us to come together in advance of some of the neighborhood meetings and the discipline specific focus group meetings. Please come prepared to discuss issues that affect you, your segment of the industry and others.
RSVP to ben@chicagoplays.com to attend.
Labels:
chicago cultural plan,
community events,
free event
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Multicultural Social Hour Kick Off
The Spot, 4437 N. Broadway Avenue
Monday, December 19, 6-8pm
RSVP to jmcclendon@steppenwolf.org
Brought to you by Steppenwolf’s 2012 Multicultural Fellows, the Multicultural Social Hour is networking group of young professionals who are dedicated to promoting diversity within the professional world of theatre.
All are welcome! So bring your friends.
* $1 OFF ALL DRINKS *
The group will meet at least 3 times between December and April to casually discuss topics of diversity and how we can effect change within the theatre world. The season will then end with a panel discussion in May where we review what we have learned and pose questions to influential theatre professionals.
Topics and Locations will change with each event.
Monday, December 19, 6-8pm
RSVP to jmcclendon@steppenwolf.org
Brought to you by Steppenwolf’s 2012 Multicultural Fellows, the Multicultural Social Hour is networking group of young professionals who are dedicated to promoting diversity within the professional world of theatre.
All are welcome! So bring your friends.
* $1 OFF ALL DRINKS *
The group will meet at least 3 times between December and April to casually discuss topics of diversity and how we can effect change within the theatre world. The season will then end with a panel discussion in May where we review what we have learned and pose questions to influential theatre professionals.
Topics and Locations will change with each event.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Party 3.0

Victory Gardens, Silk Road Rising and Theatre Communications Group are hosting a public event to celebrate the new anthology of contemporary Asian American drama entitled Version 3.0, edited by Victory Gardens' Artistic Director Chay Yew, and published by TCG Publications. The event will be held Sunday, December 4, from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. The evening will include a reception, readings and a discussion with Chay Yew and Luis Alfaro, award-winning playwright, poet and activist (author of Oedipus el Rey, VG's Summer 2012 show) about the anthology and the current state of the art.
Version 3.0 features a foreward by David Henry Hwang (Chinglish, M. Butterfly), and includes work by today's foremost Asian American playwrights including Julia Cho, Diana Son, Chay Yew, Han Ong, Alice Tuan and others.
The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required by contacting Daniel Reinglass, 773.328.2130 or dreinglass@victorygardens.org.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Stage 773 Open House
Stage 773 staff has taken their hard hats off and ear plugs out. Construction has finished and Stage 773 is reopened with a full slate of shows (every night night the week!) in our newly renovated theaters!
We are very excited and want to invite you, our theater friends and family, to see what we've been up to the last three months! Please join us in celebrating the new Stage 773.
Tuesday, September 20, 5 -8 P.M.
Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont
Light refreshments served
Please rsvp to Jack Short jack@stage773.com by September 17th to reserve a spot at our open house.
We are very excited and want to invite you, our theater friends and family, to see what we've been up to the last three months! Please join us in celebrating the new Stage 773.
Tuesday, September 20, 5 -8 P.M.
Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont
Light refreshments served
Please rsvp to Jack Short jack@stage773.com by September 17th to reserve a spot at our open house.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Last Call
The 2nd annual Chicago Theatre (anti) Conference is coming up in just a couple weeks at Theater Wit. Why is it an anti-conference you may be asking? Because its designed to maximize conversation and exploration rather than just presentation. The full weekend schedule will be announced soon, but you can take a look at our most-current line-up of presenters and panelists. It's a pretty amazing group of people. We still have a couple final presenter slots to fill, so if you have an idea for a presentation you should send us your information in the next couple days. We hope that even if you aren't presenting anything that you'll register and join the conversation. We look forward to seeing everyone at Theater Wit in a couple weeks!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
CPS Arts Partner Survey Convening
Please join us Wednesday, June 29 OR Thursday, June 30 to discuss the results of the CPS Arts Partner Survey.
The League of Chicago Theatres invites theatre-specific and multi-disciplinary organizations to join us for this next step in our process, whether or not you were able to complete the survey earlier this year.
On Wednesday, June 29 from 10am to 12pm and Thursday, June 30 from 6pm to 8pm at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn), we will be sharing the results of the survey and asking for your reactions, feedback, and recommendations on where our sector can go from here. You need only attend one of these two sessions; light refreshments will be provided at each.
Please RSVP to Jess Hutchinson (jess@chicagoplays.com) with your name, organization, and the date and time you’ll be joining us; you will receive an e-mail confirming your RSVP. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to Jess as well.
Last winter, the Chicago Community Trust enlisted four institutions to work together and within their different artistic disciplines in creating recommendations for the improvement of arts education experiences of every student in the Chicago Public Schools. The first step in that task was to create and distribute the CPS Arts Partner Survey, designed to help us understand the current depth and breadth of arts partners’ work in CPS.
After working with many of you to create that survey, enlisting your help in spreading the word about it, collecting responses, and analyzing that data, it’s time to share the findings with you, and gather your input as we begin to draft our sector-specific recommendations.
Please Save The Date: TUESDAY, JULY 19th – we’ll again host two sessions at 1pm and 6pm respectively where we’ll present a draft of our final recommendations, informed by your feedback, before submitting them to the Trust.
The League of Chicago Theatres invites theatre-specific and multi-disciplinary organizations to join us for this next step in our process, whether or not you were able to complete the survey earlier this year.
On Wednesday, June 29 from 10am to 12pm and Thursday, June 30 from 6pm to 8pm at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn), we will be sharing the results of the survey and asking for your reactions, feedback, and recommendations on where our sector can go from here. You need only attend one of these two sessions; light refreshments will be provided at each.
Please RSVP to Jess Hutchinson (jess@chicagoplays.com) with your name, organization, and the date and time you’ll be joining us; you will receive an e-mail confirming your RSVP. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to Jess as well.
Last winter, the Chicago Community Trust enlisted four institutions to work together and within their different artistic disciplines in creating recommendations for the improvement of arts education experiences of every student in the Chicago Public Schools. The first step in that task was to create and distribute the CPS Arts Partner Survey, designed to help us understand the current depth and breadth of arts partners’ work in CPS.
After working with many of you to create that survey, enlisting your help in spreading the word about it, collecting responses, and analyzing that data, it’s time to share the findings with you, and gather your input as we begin to draft our sector-specific recommendations.
Please Save The Date: TUESDAY, JULY 19th – we’ll again host two sessions at 1pm and 6pm respectively where we’ll present a draft of our final recommendations, informed by your feedback, before submitting them to the Trust.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Eclipse Theatre Lunar Eclipse Event on June 18
LUNAR ECLIPSE a Chicago Theatre Networking Mixer
Saturday, June 18, 2011
8 p.m. and into the night
at the Eclipse Theatre Rehearsal Space
4001 N. Ravenswood, Suite 402
Chicago, IL 60613
It's that time again.... Come celebrate the 2011 Summer Solstice and network with Eclipse as well as friends and colleagues from the Chicago theatre community
Variety of Summer Solstice specialty drinks, beer, and wine
Summer Solstice astrological readings
Lots and lots of great summer food
DJ music and dancing
Network and mingle with Chicago artists
To learn more about Lunar Eclipse click here
Saturday, June 18, 2011
8 p.m. and into the night
at the Eclipse Theatre Rehearsal Space
4001 N. Ravenswood, Suite 402
Chicago, IL 60613
It's that time again.... Come celebrate the 2011 Summer Solstice and network with Eclipse as well as friends and colleagues from the Chicago theatre community
Variety of Summer Solstice specialty drinks, beer, and wine
Summer Solstice astrological readings
Lots and lots of great summer food
DJ music and dancing
Network and mingle with Chicago artists
To learn more about Lunar Eclipse click here
Monday, May 9, 2011
Artspeaks presents David Henry Hwang + Oskar Eustis
The University of Chicago's 7th annual Artspeaks Series PresentsDavid Henry Hwang & Oskar Eustis
May 16, 2011, 7:30 pm
International House, 1414 E. 59th Street (Assembly Hall)
Tickets: $20/$5 students with valid ID
Call 773.702.8080 for reservations
Writer/producer David Henry Hwang and Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater in New York, engage in a conversation about their craft, including the creative development of Hwang's upcoming production of Chinglish at the Goodman Theatre.
Throughout his career, playwright David Henry Hwang has explored the complexities of forging Eastern and Western cultures in a contemporary America. He is best known as the author of M. Butterfly, which ran for two years on Broadway, won the 1988 Tony, Drama Desk, John Gassner, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, and was also a finalist for the 1989 Pulitzer Prize. Golden Child premiered Off-Broadway at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre, received a 1997 OBIE Award for playwriting and subsequently moved to Broadway, where it received three 1998 Tony Nominations, including Best New Play. Yellow Face, which premiered at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum and New York's Public Theater, won a 2008 OBIE Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Oskar Eustis has worked as a director, dramaturg, and artistic director for theaters around the country. In 2005 he took the helm at New York's Public Theater. Throughout his career, Eustis has been dedicated to the development of new plays as both a director and a producer. He commissioned Tony Kushner's Angels in America at the Eureka Theatre Company in San Francisco and directed its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum. He was a professor of Theatre, Speech and Dance at Brown University, where he founded and chaired the Trinity Rep/Brown University Consortium for professional theater training. He currently serves as Professor of Dramatic Writing and Arts and Public Policy at New York University.
Click here for more information.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Chicago DCA Theater Industry Open House
The staff of Chicago DCA Theater invites you to an Industry Open House Join us for an evening of food and drink as you mingle with other theatre professionals and learn about the resources and benefits that DCA Theater brings to Chicago's Theatre community.
Monday, April 25, 2011
7 - 9 p.m.
DCA Storefront Theater
66 E. Randolph Street Chicago
The event is free; reservations are encouraged.
To make your reservation click here or call the DCA Box Office at 312-742-TIXS(8497). Discounted parking is available for $10 at the Interpark Garage located at 20 E. Randolph, across the street from Macy's. Please see DCA Theater staff for validation tickets at the event.
Food provided Phil Stefani's. Beer provided by Goose Island.
Chicago DCA Theater offers vibrant, itinerant theater companies the opportunity to expose downtown audiences to the Chicago off-loop theater experience. For more information, visit http://www.dcatheater.org/.
Monday, April 25, 2011
7 - 9 p.m.
DCA Storefront Theater
66 E. Randolph Street Chicago
The event is free; reservations are encouraged.
To make your reservation click here or call the DCA Box Office at 312-742-TIXS(8497). Discounted parking is available for $10 at the Interpark Garage located at 20 E. Randolph, across the street from Macy's. Please see DCA Theater staff for validation tickets at the event.
Food provided Phil Stefani's. Beer provided by Goose Island.
Chicago DCA Theater offers vibrant, itinerant theater companies the opportunity to expose downtown audiences to the Chicago off-loop theater experience. For more information, visit http://www.dcatheater.org/.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Opening Doors: Building a Relationship with your Alderman
On April 7 at 6 p.m., join the League of Chicago Theatres and Arts Alliance Illinois as we welcome Alderman Vi Daley to the Richard Christiansen Theater at the Victory Gardens Biograph (2433 N. Lincoln). Alderman Daley has been a staunch ally and vocal advocate for arts and culture in her 43rd Ward since she took office in 1999. She's retiring from city government at the end of her term this May, but before she goes Alderman Daley has agreed to share her favorite "do's" and "don'ts" for connecting with your organization's alderman - as well as examples of successful public/private partnerships between organizations and city officials.
With accomplishments such as helping Victory Gardens obtain and renovate the Biograph, creating the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit, and championing the Old Town Art Fair and the renovation of Lincoln Hall, Alderman Daley brings a wealth of knowledge and strategies to this discussion. We are grateful for her enthusiasm, and eager to share her wisdom with you.
Space is limited for this conversation - please RSVP to Ben Thiem: ben@chicagoplays.com.
And - as a bonus - please stay after the conversation and receive a special industry rate for that evening’s performance of Victory Gardens Theater’s production of Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation. Performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 with the code “Industry” and may be purchased in advance by calling 773.871.3000. Tickets subject to availability.
With accomplishments such as helping Victory Gardens obtain and renovate the Biograph, creating the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit, and championing the Old Town Art Fair and the renovation of Lincoln Hall, Alderman Daley brings a wealth of knowledge and strategies to this discussion. We are grateful for her enthusiasm, and eager to share her wisdom with you.
Space is limited for this conversation - please RSVP to Ben Thiem: ben@chicagoplays.com.
And - as a bonus - please stay after the conversation and receive a special industry rate for that evening’s performance of Victory Gardens Theater’s production of Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation. Performance begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 with the code “Industry” and may be purchased in advance by calling 773.871.3000. Tickets subject to availability.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
World Theatre Day 2011 Chicago Celebration
Join us March 27th as the League of Chicago Theatres and the Greenhouse Theater Center host World Theatre Day 2011. A party for Chicago theatre artists - and the city that loves them - we'll eat, drink, and celebrate another year of theatre with big shoulders, and connect with other theatre makers around the world. And to sweeten the deal, Christopher Piatt, creator and host of the weekly news magazine The Paper Machete, returns to WTD11. This former print journalist (past theatre editor for Time Out Chicago) turned spoken word correspondent brings us a new solo piece that explores where we've been, examines the way our politics inform our place in the artistic landscape, and takes a gander into what may lay ahead in our New Chicago. Doors open at 7 p.m. at the Greenhouse Theater Center - 2257 North Lincoln Avenue.In preparation for WTD11, tell the world "This is My Theatre" by contributing a piece to our international patchwork. You'll find examples and instructions for uploading your contribution here.
Labels:
community events,
free event,
world theatre day
2011 Creative Chicago Expo on March 12
The Creative Chicago Expo is a free, day-long event that connects Chicago's creative community—including individual artists, businesses, and organizations—with services, spaces, information, and networks. More than 130 vendors will participate in this year's Expo, including arts services, community organizations, arts educators, space and housing providers, health care and financial consultants, and more.25 Workshops 130+ Vendors 20+ Expo Experts
Saturday, March 12, 2011
10 am – 5 pm
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington
Admission free
Who should attend? Dancers, writers, musicians, actors, performers, theater professionals, visual artists, fashion designers and marketers, graphic designers, new media and filmmakers...and all other Chicago creatives!
Read more about the Expo here.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Meet Remy Bumppo's new Artistic Director on 3/1
Tuesday, March 1st, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.Greenhouse Theater Center
2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Join Remy Bumppo for a special evening with Incoming Artistic Director Timothy Douglas. Remy Bumppo artists will share the exciting slate of plays for 2011/2012 followed by plenty of time for questions and conversation with Timothy.
6:30 p.m. Mix and mingle with Timothy and other Bumppos over food and drinks.
7:15 p.m. Program and conversation in the theater
This event is FREE and space is limited!
RSVP by emailing rsvp@remybumppo.org or calling 773-244-8119
Panel Discussion at The Artistic Home
No Time For Tom-Foolery: What Price Do Artists of Color Pay for Artistic Integrity?
A Panel Discussion
February 26, 2011, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
The Artistic Home Theatre
3914 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60613
Free to the public, Seating is limited. To reserve seats, call 773-404-1100
“Would you send your son off to die?” That’s the question veteran Broadway actress Wiletta Mayer, the lead character in Alice Childress’s Obie award-winning play Trouble In Mind, poses as she wrestles with playing another “traditional” black woman onstage. Her answer to that question sends the play, and her career, into upheaval as she realizes that to be an actress, she needs to live her truth, onstage and off.
This evening, we will be exploring the idea of artistic integrity as it deals with how we, as a theatre community, represent race onstage. How does one -- an actor, a playwright, a director, a theatre company – maintain one’s own sense of artistic trueness when faced with situations we don’t personally agree? How does one create and maintain a career when the majority of artistic opportunities may be colored by stereotypes and bias? Is it ever OK to go along to get along?
Panelists for this discussion are:
Lee Bey, executive director of the Chicago Central Area Committee, an influential civic group composed of the business and cultural leaders devoted to improving the architecture, transportation, cultural life and urban design of downtown Chicago. Mr. Bey is also the force behind Lee Bey’s Soul Closest, a look back at 20th Century African American Pop Culture.
Lavina Jadhwani, Artistic Director of Rasaka Theatre Company, an Associate Artist at Silk Road Theatre Project and Premiere Theatre & Performance and an Artistic Associate at Halcyon Theatre. Ms. Jadhwani also serves on the Steering Committee for the South Asian Theatre Arts Movement. Her work with Rasaka includes directing and curating the Chicago premiere of Yoni Ki Baat and the world premiere of culture/clash, the nation’s first fully produced South Asian short play festival. Other directing credits include work at American Theatre Company, Apple Tree, Bailiwick, Chicago Dramatists, Raven Theatre, Remy Bumppo, the side project, Stage Left and Victory Gardens. Lavina received LMDA awards for her work on Merchant on Venice at Silk Road and Urinetown and Arcadia at Carnegie Mellon University. She has been a finalist for the Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship, the 3Arts Artist Awards and the Luce Scholars Program. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, Drama; Masters, Arts Management) and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. www.lavinajadhwani.com
Vaun Monroe, director of Trouble In Mind. Mr. Monroe currently an Assistant Professor in the Film and Video Department at Columbia College Chicago where he teaches Directing, Screenwriting and Film Studies. Mr. Monroe was Artistic Director at Chicago Scriptworks and is now President of National Association of Black Screenwriters. He has taught Screenwriting and Directing workshops throughout the country, most recently at the Bronzeville Film Festival and the National Black Theater Festival.
Kathy Scambiatterra, artistic director of The Artistic Home Theatre and head of The Artistic Home Training Studio. Ms. Scambiatterra has acted in and directed numerous Artistic Home productions. Other regional credits include Steppenwolf Theater, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Center Theater, Wisdom Bridge Theatre, Pegasus Players, Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble, Bailiwick Repertory, Aspect and Halcyon. She has received three leading role Jeff nominations for her work in Natural Affection, Abundance, and The School of Wives as well as was honored by the Italo American National Union with the David Award.
Madrid St. Angelo, co-founder and current Artistic Director of UrbanTheater Company (Chicago). Mr. St. Angelo is a Native New Yorker and graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse; New School of Acting, where he trained under William Alderson and Sandy Meisner. As an Award Nominated and winning actor and theatrical director, he has worked with Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Silk Road Theatre Project, Greasy Joan & Co., Vitalist Theatre, Premiere Theatre and Performance, Bailiwick and 16th St.Theatre. Currently he has directed UTC's, production of Jose Rivera's, 'Sonnets for an Old Century' currently in rep at Steppenwolf's Garage Theatre.
Ytasha L. Womack, a filmmaker, journalist and author of "Post Black: How A New Generation is Redefining African American Identity" (Lawrence Hill Books). Ms. Womack explores identity in the blog www.postblackthebook.blogspot.com.
The panel discussion will be immediately followed by the 8 p.m. performance of Trouble In Mind. Tickets can be purchased for the show at http://www.theartistichome.org/ or by calling 1-888-811-4111. All tickets are $28.
A Panel Discussion
February 26, 2011, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
The Artistic Home Theatre
3914 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60613
Free to the public, Seating is limited. To reserve seats, call 773-404-1100
“Would you send your son off to die?” That’s the question veteran Broadway actress Wiletta Mayer, the lead character in Alice Childress’s Obie award-winning play Trouble In Mind, poses as she wrestles with playing another “traditional” black woman onstage. Her answer to that question sends the play, and her career, into upheaval as she realizes that to be an actress, she needs to live her truth, onstage and off.
This evening, we will be exploring the idea of artistic integrity as it deals with how we, as a theatre community, represent race onstage. How does one -- an actor, a playwright, a director, a theatre company – maintain one’s own sense of artistic trueness when faced with situations we don’t personally agree? How does one create and maintain a career when the majority of artistic opportunities may be colored by stereotypes and bias? Is it ever OK to go along to get along?
Panelists for this discussion are:
Lee Bey, executive director of the Chicago Central Area Committee, an influential civic group composed of the business and cultural leaders devoted to improving the architecture, transportation, cultural life and urban design of downtown Chicago. Mr. Bey is also the force behind Lee Bey’s Soul Closest, a look back at 20th Century African American Pop Culture.
Lavina Jadhwani, Artistic Director of Rasaka Theatre Company, an Associate Artist at Silk Road Theatre Project and Premiere Theatre & Performance and an Artistic Associate at Halcyon Theatre. Ms. Jadhwani also serves on the Steering Committee for the South Asian Theatre Arts Movement. Her work with Rasaka includes directing and curating the Chicago premiere of Yoni Ki Baat and the world premiere of culture/clash, the nation’s first fully produced South Asian short play festival. Other directing credits include work at American Theatre Company, Apple Tree, Bailiwick, Chicago Dramatists, Raven Theatre, Remy Bumppo, the side project, Stage Left and Victory Gardens. Lavina received LMDA awards for her work on Merchant on Venice at Silk Road and Urinetown and Arcadia at Carnegie Mellon University. She has been a finalist for the Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship, the 3Arts Artist Awards and the Luce Scholars Program. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (BFA, Drama; Masters, Arts Management) and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. www.lavinajadhwani.com
Vaun Monroe, director of Trouble In Mind. Mr. Monroe currently an Assistant Professor in the Film and Video Department at Columbia College Chicago where he teaches Directing, Screenwriting and Film Studies. Mr. Monroe was Artistic Director at Chicago Scriptworks and is now President of National Association of Black Screenwriters. He has taught Screenwriting and Directing workshops throughout the country, most recently at the Bronzeville Film Festival and the National Black Theater Festival.
Kathy Scambiatterra, artistic director of The Artistic Home Theatre and head of The Artistic Home Training Studio. Ms. Scambiatterra has acted in and directed numerous Artistic Home productions. Other regional credits include Steppenwolf Theater, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Center Theater, Wisdom Bridge Theatre, Pegasus Players, Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble, Bailiwick Repertory, Aspect and Halcyon. She has received three leading role Jeff nominations for her work in Natural Affection, Abundance, and The School of Wives as well as was honored by the Italo American National Union with the David Award.
Madrid St. Angelo, co-founder and current Artistic Director of UrbanTheater Company (Chicago). Mr. St. Angelo is a Native New Yorker and graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse; New School of Acting, where he trained under William Alderson and Sandy Meisner. As an Award Nominated and winning actor and theatrical director, he has worked with Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Silk Road Theatre Project, Greasy Joan & Co., Vitalist Theatre, Premiere Theatre and Performance, Bailiwick and 16th St.Theatre. Currently he has directed UTC's, production of Jose Rivera's, 'Sonnets for an Old Century' currently in rep at Steppenwolf's Garage Theatre.
Ytasha L. Womack, a filmmaker, journalist and author of "Post Black: How A New Generation is Redefining African American Identity" (Lawrence Hill Books). Ms. Womack explores identity in the blog www.postblackthebook.blogspot.com.
The panel discussion will be immediately followed by the 8 p.m. performance of Trouble In Mind. Tickets can be purchased for the show at http://www.theartistichome.org/ or by calling 1-888-811-4111. All tickets are $28.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Registration Opens for International Symposium on Chicago Theatre May 18-22

How has Chicago theatre developed from a grassroots movement to a global phenomenon over the past 50 years? What is the current state of "the beating heart of American theatre," as British critic Michael Billington recently described Chicago? And what is the future of theatre in Chicago – in America and around the world – in a time of rapidly escalating technological innovation and globalization?
These are the questions that will be addressed during Chicago – Theatre Capital of America: Past. Present. Future, an international symposium presented by the Theatre Department of Columbia College Chicago on May 18-22. A principal focus of the symposium will be Chicago theatre since 1959, the year that director Paul Sills and others founded The Second City, Chicago's internationally acclaimed improvisational theatre which trained a legion of entertainment legends.
Online registration for the symposium is live at www.colum.edu/theatresymposium. Cost is $95 for the four-day event, with a discounted price of $60 for students. Registration and events are open to the public.
Featured speakers include Martha Lavey, artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Harvey Young, director of Northwestern University's interdisciplinary doctoral program in theatre and author of Embodying Black Experience: Stillness, Critical Memory, and the Black Body; Todd London, coauthor of Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play; and veteran Chicago arts critic Richard Christiansen, author of A Theater of Our Own: A History and Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago.
International perspectives on Chicago theatre will be provided by scholars and guest artists from overseas including Phillip Zarrilli, actor, director and prize-winning author of Psychophysical Acting: An Intercultural Approach After Stanislavski. Zarrilli, with his company The Llanarth Group from Wales, will stage the American premiere of his latest work, Told By The Wind, at the Dance Center of Columbia College during the symposium.
More than 70 presentations by theatre scholars and practitioners from the United States and Europe will highlight the event. These presentations will be complemented by a variety of performances, workshops, and social events that will offer a unique opportunity for theatre academics, professionals and enthusiasts to meet and share ideas.
Specific themes to be addressed during sessions include:
· The influence of Chicago theatre artists and teachers on theatre, film, and TV in America and around the world -- from Broadway and Hollywood to regional theatre to universities here and abroad
· The work of Chicago playwrights (including Pulitzer Prize winners David Mamet and Tracy Letts) and directors (including Tony Award winners Robert Falls, Mary Zimmerman, and Frank Galati and Obie Award winner David Cromer)
· The rich history of African-American, Latino, Asian-American, and Arab-American theatre in Chicago
· The social, cultural, and political factors that have given Chicago theatre its distinctive qualities
· Ancestors and antecedents of contemporary Chicago theatre (including the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the 1933 Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair, the historic Loop theatre district, the pioneering improv troupes and comedy artists of the Eisenhower era, and the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s
· The influence of theatre criticism, dramaturgy, and even clergy in the evolution of Chicago theatre
· Arts leadership training, audience development, and funding strategies for the coming century.
The scholars selected to deliver papers and sit on panels at the event reflect an array of institutions from the United States and around the world. Among them, in addition to Columbia College Chicago, are Harvard University, Boston College, Emerson College, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Loyola University, the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin, the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in London, and the University of Macedonia for Economic and Social Sciences. Also participating are theatre professionals from Chicago companies such as Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Writers' Theatre and The Second City, as well as noted alumni of the Chicago theater explosion of the past four decades who have gone on to careers on stage and screen.
Joining Columbia College Chicago in this endeavor are a number of institutional partners including the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Chicago Public Library, the League of Chicago Theatres, the Dramatists Guild of America, Actors' Equity Association (Central Region) and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
For more information, visit http://www.colum.edu/theatresymposium.
These are the questions that will be addressed during Chicago – Theatre Capital of America: Past. Present. Future, an international symposium presented by the Theatre Department of Columbia College Chicago on May 18-22. A principal focus of the symposium will be Chicago theatre since 1959, the year that director Paul Sills and others founded The Second City, Chicago's internationally acclaimed improvisational theatre which trained a legion of entertainment legends.
Online registration for the symposium is live at www.colum.edu/theatresymposium. Cost is $95 for the four-day event, with a discounted price of $60 for students. Registration and events are open to the public.
Featured speakers include Martha Lavey, artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Harvey Young, director of Northwestern University's interdisciplinary doctoral program in theatre and author of Embodying Black Experience: Stillness, Critical Memory, and the Black Body; Todd London, coauthor of Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play; and veteran Chicago arts critic Richard Christiansen, author of A Theater of Our Own: A History and Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago.
International perspectives on Chicago theatre will be provided by scholars and guest artists from overseas including Phillip Zarrilli, actor, director and prize-winning author of Psychophysical Acting: An Intercultural Approach After Stanislavski. Zarrilli, with his company The Llanarth Group from Wales, will stage the American premiere of his latest work, Told By The Wind, at the Dance Center of Columbia College during the symposium.
More than 70 presentations by theatre scholars and practitioners from the United States and Europe will highlight the event. These presentations will be complemented by a variety of performances, workshops, and social events that will offer a unique opportunity for theatre academics, professionals and enthusiasts to meet and share ideas.
Specific themes to be addressed during sessions include:
· The influence of Chicago theatre artists and teachers on theatre, film, and TV in America and around the world -- from Broadway and Hollywood to regional theatre to universities here and abroad
· The work of Chicago playwrights (including Pulitzer Prize winners David Mamet and Tracy Letts) and directors (including Tony Award winners Robert Falls, Mary Zimmerman, and Frank Galati and Obie Award winner David Cromer)
· The rich history of African-American, Latino, Asian-American, and Arab-American theatre in Chicago
· The social, cultural, and political factors that have given Chicago theatre its distinctive qualities
· Ancestors and antecedents of contemporary Chicago theatre (including the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the 1933 Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair, the historic Loop theatre district, the pioneering improv troupes and comedy artists of the Eisenhower era, and the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s
· The influence of theatre criticism, dramaturgy, and even clergy in the evolution of Chicago theatre
· Arts leadership training, audience development, and funding strategies for the coming century.
The scholars selected to deliver papers and sit on panels at the event reflect an array of institutions from the United States and around the world. Among them, in addition to Columbia College Chicago, are Harvard University, Boston College, Emerson College, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Loyola University, the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin, the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in London, and the University of Macedonia for Economic and Social Sciences. Also participating are theatre professionals from Chicago companies such as Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Writers' Theatre and The Second City, as well as noted alumni of the Chicago theater explosion of the past four decades who have gone on to careers on stage and screen.
Joining Columbia College Chicago in this endeavor are a number of institutional partners including the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Chicago Public Library, the League of Chicago Theatres, the Dramatists Guild of America, Actors' Equity Association (Central Region) and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
For more information, visit http://www.colum.edu/theatresymposium.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Alternative History of Chicago Theater (Abridged)
Wednesday, March 2 2011 @ 7:00pm
Chopin Theatre
1543 W Division
Chicago , IL 60622
Presented by Chicago Public Media (WBEZ-Chicago)
In the past ten years, Chicago has emerged as America’s Theater City. With institutions like The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Victory Gardens Theater as well as a host of smaller storefront and itinerant groups, including Theater Oobleck, The House Theatre, and WNEP Theater – when talking about the stage, Chicago is no longer the second city.
And while the history of Chicago’s theater scene is well documented from A Theater of Our Own: A History and a Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago by long time Chicago Tribune critic Richard Christiansen, and Jeffrey Sweet’s Something Wonderful Right Away (an oral history of Chicago's The Second City troupe), missing from the written histories is a seedier, funnier past known only to those that were there.
Join WBEZ Dueling Critics Kelly Kleiman and Jonathan Arbarbanel and a panel of distinguished Chicago theater experts – including critic Albert Williams, Broadway actreress Kate Buddeke, and Victory Gardens' founder Dennis Zacek – as they tell of their favorite moments watching and creating theater over the past six decades. The evening will also include original pieces created and performed by sketch comedy group Robot vs. Dinosaur, spoken word troupe BoyGirlBoyGirl, fringe theater companies The Plagiarists and RoShamBo Theater, and southside educational theater company Tofu Chitlin' Circut. Reception to follow.
Admission:
$15/general admission
$12/WBEZ members
$10/students (with valid ID)
Click here to buy tickets
Chopin Theatre
1543 W Division
Chicago , IL 60622
Presented by Chicago Public Media (WBEZ-Chicago)
In the past ten years, Chicago has emerged as America’s Theater City. With institutions like The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Victory Gardens Theater as well as a host of smaller storefront and itinerant groups, including Theater Oobleck, The House Theatre, and WNEP Theater – when talking about the stage, Chicago is no longer the second city.
And while the history of Chicago’s theater scene is well documented from A Theater of Our Own: A History and a Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago by long time Chicago Tribune critic Richard Christiansen, and Jeffrey Sweet’s Something Wonderful Right Away (an oral history of Chicago's The Second City troupe), missing from the written histories is a seedier, funnier past known only to those that were there.
Join WBEZ Dueling Critics Kelly Kleiman and Jonathan Arbarbanel and a panel of distinguished Chicago theater experts – including critic Albert Williams, Broadway actreress Kate Buddeke, and Victory Gardens' founder Dennis Zacek – as they tell of their favorite moments watching and creating theater over the past six decades. The evening will also include original pieces created and performed by sketch comedy group Robot vs. Dinosaur, spoken word troupe BoyGirlBoyGirl, fringe theater companies The Plagiarists and RoShamBo Theater, and southside educational theater company Tofu Chitlin' Circut. Reception to follow.
Admission:
$15/general admission
$12/WBEZ members
$10/students (with valid ID)
Click here to buy tickets
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