Studio Space Rental Availability at Ballet Chicago

Ballet Chicago has studio space available for rent (for rehearsals/auditions) throughout the year and over winter break. Non-profit companies receive a 50% discount off the commercial rental rates. A certificate of liability insurance is also required of all renters. For details and availability, contact Danny Valente, Manager of Operations, Ballet Chicago at dvalente@balletchicago.org or 312-251-8838.

Season of Carols Concert and CD

Monday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave.
A holiday celebration to kick-off sales of the SEASON OF CAROLS CD, a new holiday album which features over one hundred Chicago theater artists to raise funds for SEASON OF CONCERN, which supports Chicago artists in need. 100% of ticket sales go directly to SEASON OF CONCERN. Scheduled to appear: Melody Betts, Foiled Again, the cast from Drury Lane Oakbrook's HAIRSPRAY, Birdie Wing, The Lincoln Squares, the cast from the Mercury Theater’s THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER and Cory Goodrich. Tickets are $30 or 2 for $50. Click here for tickets.

Sports and Theatre

So, I saw this and really, whatever you think about the argument about actors not being real men…I whooped for joy. Why? A sports franchise is trying to LURE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE THEATRE. It’s what I’ve always wanted to see. I know, its Broadway and its different, but I have always dreamed of a world where the Cubs were beating down our doors to advertise in our programs. Also, I’m always trying to think of ways we can be more like sports teams, inspiring that kind of loyalty, etc., after all, we are so similar in what we offer – drama…excitement…thrills and yes, flying men. Instead of spending time worrying about what the makers of this ad think of us, I would love to see the person who comes up with the counter ad, the one we put on a billboard outside of Wrigley that says, essentially, instead of watching another boring baseball game (and let’s face it most of them are boring, I’m sorry, I love baseball but the games are boring) come watch some real men fly and a picture of Scrooge…or something…hey, I’m not the one who thinks up ad campaigns, but you get my drift.

Deb

2013 - 2014 Saints Grants Program

The Saints would like to inform theater, dance, and music organizations of the opening of their 2013 - 2014 Grants Program. The Saints invite and encourage venues to apply for this grant assistance to be used for artistic development or production-related purposes. Budget requests from $1000 to $7500 will be considered for funding. The grant period is from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014.

The application can be accessed by clicking on the link "Apply for a Grant" on the Saints website at www.saintschicago.org. 

Applications are due Friday, January 18, 2013.

Industry Ticket Offers

Through the Night written and performed by Daniel Beaty - Daryl Roth Productions at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave. is offering FREE tickets to special performances on Tuesday, November 20 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Come see a special performance as it is captured LIVE for Television! For more information on how YOU can be in the audience please email: ThroughtheNightChicago@gmail.com.

Gentleman’s Rule – Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted is offering limited complimentary industry tickets November 14 and 15, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by phone 312-988-9000 or walk-up. Use promo code LOCT when ordering.

Beautiful Women in Terrible Trouble - Polarity Ensemble Theatre, 1500 N. Bell, Chicago, invites Artistic Directors, Literary Managers and other theatre leaders to join us Nov 16 or 17 at 7:30pm for a 'best of' teaser from a three play cycle that requires three separate theatres to produce the plays concurrently. Comps can be reserved by emailing boxoffice@petheatre.com. More info at blog.petheatre.com.

breaks & bikes - The Pavement Group at the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. Suite 332, is offering $15 tickets to league members for the Thursday, November 29 performance at 8 p.m. including a special post show discussion and Theatre Thursday event. For tickets click here and use code LEAGUE.

 Long Day's Journey into Night - Eclipse Theatre Company at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport is offering $10 industry tickets for the following performances: November 15th, 16th, 23rd, 24th and 25th. Mention code word INDUSTRY at the box office. Visit http://www.eclipsetheatre.com for more information.

ScrapArtsMusic – Chicago Human Rhythm Project at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park is offering $10 industry tickets to Global Rhythms 8, featuring ScrapArtsMusic from Vancouver Saturday, November 24 @ 8:00pm and Sunday, November 25 @ 3:00pm. Use the code CHRP-10 when calling the Harris Theater box office at 312-334-7777 or when ordering online through the Harris Theater website. (Purchase by November 21.) Visit Chicago Human Rhythm Project's website for more information and video previews of ScrapArtsMusic.

You Never Can Tell - Remy Bumppo Theatre Company at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. is offering admission to preview performances November 21 - 25 with a donation to the Lakeview Pantry.  Remy Bumppo will set aside 50 seats for admission by food or monetary donation to Lakeview Pantry. Patrons may donate as much or as little as they can afford. Patrons participating in the donation program should go to the Greenhouse box office at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, where ticketing will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis while the supply of 50 lasts, beginning an hour before curtain. Collection of food or monetary donations will be made at the entrance to the upstairs mainstage.

Space Rental Availability at Chicago Dramatists

Main-stage Rental Space is available at Chicago Dramatists for thefollowing dates: March 4 – April 28, 2013. This is an 8-week production slot. We would be interested in 6 week, 4 week or 2 week rentals. The theatre is 77 seats with a full lighting and sound package, air conditioning, dressing rooms and 24 hour access during technical rehearsals. Theatre rental is $1,250 per week. Rehearsal space isalso available at $10 - $15 per hour. Please contact Brian Loevner at bloevner@chicagodramatists.org or call 312-633-0630 x17.

Industry Ticket Offers

Mike Daisey: American Utopias - MCA Stage, 220 E. Chicago Ave., is offering limited $22 industry tickets November 8 and 10–11, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by phone 312.397.4010 or walk-up. Use promo code LOCT when ordering.

Martin Creed: Work No. 1020 (Ballet) - MCA Stage, 220 E. Chicago Ave., is offering limited $22 industry tickets November 15–16, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by phone 312.397.4010 or walk-up. Use promo code LOCT when ordering.

Something From Nothing: A 2 day Intensive on Devised Theatre

Led by Quinn Bauriedel, Co-Artistic Director & Co-Founder - Pig Iron Theatre Co.; School Director - Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training

Spots will go fast!

Saturday, November 17th - 10a-5p
Sunday, November 18th - 10a-4p

The Den Theatre
1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL

The total cost of the workshop is $150, and must be paid in full prior to the workshop.

For more information, instructions on payment, and to reserve your spot, please contact: Kendra Miller contactkendra@gmail.com or call 917-287-2153

Something from Nothing: A Workshop in Theatrical Creation with OBIE Award-winning Pig Iron Theatre Company
Learn the process of creating an ensemble-based work of theatre through Pig Iron's tried-and-true creation processes. Participants will be given performance assignments: themes, stories, characters, even a piece of music which must be solved as an ensemble. The playwriting and directing duties will be shared among the ensemble, and decisions will be made collaboratively.

This workshop emphasizes generating original material, physicalizing characters and theatrical ideas, structuring group improvisations into finished pieces and the role music and rhythm play in theatrical creation. Participants will work on taking material developed through improvisation and turning it into pieces that are precise, full, exuberant, and moving.

There will be an hour lunch break each day. Participants should wear comfortable movement clothing without any designs or words on them. Please bring a water bottle and a note pad.

Pig Iron Theatre Company 
 In the past 16 years the company has created 24 original works and has toured to festivals and theatres in England, Scotland, Poland, Lithuania, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Romania and Germany. The body of Pig Iron's work is eclectic and daring. Individual works have been inspired by history and biography (Poet In New York, 1997 and Anodyne, 2001), rock music (Mission to Mercury, 2000 and James Joyce is Dead and so is Paris: The Lucia Joyce Cabaret, 2003), American kitsch culture (Cafeteria, 1997), serendipity (Dig or Fly, 1996 and The Snow Queen, 1999), and fallen heroes (The Odyssey, 1995 and The Tragedy of Joan of Arc, 1998). In 2001, Pig Iron collaborated with legendary theatre director Joseph Chaikin (1935-2003) to create an exploration of sleep, dreams and consciousness (Shut Eye). In 2005, Pig Iron won an OBIE Award for Hell Meets Henry Halfway, an adaptation of Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz's novel Possessed; in 2008, Pig Iron won a second OBIE for James Sugg's performance in Chekhov Lizardbrain. In 2006, Pig Iron was named Theatre Company of the Year in the Philadelphia Weekly.

More info about Pig Iron and the Pig Iron School:
www.pigironschool.org
www.pigiron.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gba9z2mFH0

Space Availability at The Building Stage

The Building Stage has mainstage rental available for January/February 2013 in our West Loop/West Town venue, entrance and parking at 412 N. Carpenter Street. Flexible industrial blackbox space with seating for up to 99 patons (though 50-75 is more common), handicap accessible bathrooms. Light, sound, tools, and equipment included. Email Blake Montgomery for more information: blake@buildingstage.com.

Hurricane Sandy Relief

We know many of you are concerned about our friends and colleagues on the East coast. Millions have been affected by the storm and here are a few ways you can donate. You can donate to the Red Cross by clicking here or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 contribution.

Also, if you are interested in aiding those in our industry directly you can make a donation to the Actors’ Fund, they are based in New York and their website is down, but you can make a donation by calling any of their main numbers 917.281.5936 (NYC), 312.372.0989 (Chicago) or 323.933.9244 (LA).

Get Out the Vote

So, here we are, last blog before election day. I know that we can all be very apathetic about elections and politicians but I can’t help it, I’m kind of a sap about it. I LOVE to vote. It just feels so good. So many of my friends are voting early this year and that’s great but I love to go to the polls and see my name and have it checked off by a grouchy poll worker. It makes it feel like what it is, a privilege. I think election day should be the biggest holiday this country has. Anyway…

I will be working all night on Monday and a half day on Tuesday on get out the vote efforts across the country. I hope you all will go out and vote even though we can be assured of the outcome of the presidential election in Illinois there is a lot more to evaluate. You can get a sample ballot here http://www.chicagoelections.com/voterinfo.php if you live in Chicago. And, I hear you saying “Deb, I just don’t know about all those judges, I’d hate to vote for a bad one”…well, here’s your answer http://www.chicagobar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Judicial_Evaluation_Committee.

And, contact your friends and family far and wide and tell them how important it is as well, even if they are sick of the fighting and the lies – I truly believe that our political system will never be fixed if the percentage of eligible voters voting doesn’t rise above 50%. Vote for the best candidate and then hold them accountable to the reasons you voted for them. It’s the only way to make things better, otherwise we continue to allow money to rule.

Deb

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre Accepting Submissions for New Play Festival

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre announces that we are accepting submissions for the New Play Festival, taking place in January-February 2013 at Metropolis PAC in Arlington Heights, Illinois. All submissions that meet the criteria will be considered.

DETAILS 
Awards Playwrights’ awards are determined by the adjudication panel, from scripts submitted per requirements. Winning playwrights are notified after December 15th regarding placement. Cash prizes are presented after the staged reading performance of their play:
First Place - adult & teen play - Cash prize of $200 each
Second Place - adult & teen play - Cash prize of $100 each
Third Place - adult play - Cash prize of $100

One-Act Submission Requirements 
Playwrights must be full-time residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, or Wisconsin.

This festival will have separate adult and teen divisions. First through Third Place winning playwrights will receive cash prizes and 10 hours of rehearsal time with a director, actors and stage manager resulting in a concert reading of the top 3 adult winners and the top 2 teen winners. The plays should be one acts between 25-60 pages in length (no 10 minute plays) and cannot have been previously produced. Only one submission per playwright will be accepted. Scripts must be original works of the playwright and not commercially published (no adaptations will be accepted, unless the source material is in the public domain). There are no restrictions on subject matter, theme or style.

No musicals will be considered for this festival.

If your play meets all of the above:
Please submit a cover letter, a synopsis, and a resume along with one copy of the play. Cover-sheet of play should have title, author, author's address, author's telephone number, and author's e-mail. Plays should be neatly bound or stapled on the left hand corner. (No loose pages and no binders, please.)

Deadline for submission is December 15, 2012

Send your script by email to: rhughes@metropolisarts.com or by mail to:

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre New Play Festival
111 W. Campbell Street
Arlington Heights, IL 60005

If you would like your script returned, include a self addressed, postage paid envelope with your submission. Scripts sent without a requested return and not selected to be produced in the festival will be destroyed.

By sending a script for consideration, you acknowledge that you have read and agree with the following terms:

Submitting a script for consideration does not guarantee participation in the festival.

The playwright allows Metropolis Performing Arts Centre to make copies of the work to be used in the selection process and in production, if chosen.

There is no monetary compensation if your script is not chosen to be part of the festival.

If selected, you will receive notification by email. You will also receive a contract that must be signed and returned within the time line indicated. If we do not receive the contract, we reserve the right to cancel the selection. This festival is presented in cooperation by special arrangement with Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd., of Arlington Heights, Illinois.