Displaying items by tag: Joshua Jaeger
Review: The Project(s) at American Theater Company
It may be surprising to few that the story of Chicago Public Housing is not a happy one. When we think of the “projects” many of us can only think of the harsh setting in the film “Candyman” or an NWA music video. Not an actual place where families thrive and children experience firsts. Younger Chicago residents strolling the now safe streets of Old Town would find it hard to believe it was once the Cabrini-Green housing projects.
PJ Paparelli’s documentary-style play “The Project(s)” makes its premiere at American Theater Company where he is the artistic director. Paperelli’s unflinching look at the rise and literal fall of the Chicago Housing Association’s projects was a five year endeavor, collecting oral histories from real-life residents. Along with co-writer Joshua Jaeger, Paparelli delivers a well-researched and well-structured documentary about urban living with obvious parallels to the ongoing Civil Rights movement. A talented ensemble of African American actors give a certain levity to this piece through humor and stirring choreography by Jakari Sherman.
“The Project(s)” tells the troubled story of American Public Housing from its inception, to its bright beginnings and finally to its tragic dissolution in the late 1990s. The script is composed of an array of voices that don’t just bemoan the struggles of the working poor, but also romanticize a long-gone sense of community. The ensemble seamlessly moves in and out of mostly nameless characters that become familiar and endearing.
For many theatre-goers, life in the projects is a foreign world. Just as the tragic headlines of South Side violence may only be static for a Lincoln Park homeowner who doesn’t see shootings on their block. “The Project(s)” forces audiences to confront the everyday aggressions of an oppressed community. It also throws gentrification in the face of its supporters. Too often we hear people casually debate, “Gentrification isn’t that bad – it’s a good thing, it helps people.” Paparelli’s script begs to differ. It lends a voice and a face to the droves of people displaced when developers turn neighborhoods.
Through May 24th at American Theater Company. 1909 W Byron Street. 773-409-4125
A Chicago May Must See: Time Is A Color And The Color Is Blue at Bramble Arts Loft
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Steppenwolf Theatre Presents YOU WILL GET SICK - June 5 – July 13, 2025 - Chicago Premiere!
06 May 2025 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to present Noah Diaz's whimsical, wild, unpredictable and deeply moving Chicago…
Review: Remy Bumppo's 'Art' at Theatre Wit
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BACK IN CHICAGO BY POPULAR DEMAND! TONY AND GRAMMY-WINNING BEST MUSICAL, HADESTOWN IS NOW PLAYING
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Definition Theatre Presents World Premiere of Black Bone by Tina Fakhrid-Deen
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National Hellenic Museum hosts special free event on Greek mythology with cast members from HADESTOWN this Thursday, May 8th
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Hymn at Chicago Shakespeare Theater – A Soulful Exploration of Brotherhood
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Chicago Opera Theater presents world premiere of She Who Dared by Jasmine Arielle Barnes & Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton
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Outrage Made Manifest in “Bust: An Afrocurrentist Play”
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THE DEN THEATRE ANNOUNCES JUNE COMEDY SHOWS
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Redtwist Theatre's GARY: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus: Who mops up after the royals' butchery?
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BrightSide Theatre announces cast and production team for season finale PIPPIN, June 13-29
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Chicago Puppet Lab Showcase culminates eight-month residency with experimental live shows by emerging puppet artists, May 31-June 1 at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
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Gusto Performances in ‘Spring Awakening,’ Vibrant Staging of 1906 Basis of Broadway Musical
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Rosemont's Parkway Bank Park Announces 2025 Lineup for Rockin in the Park Free Summer Concert Series
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Rivendell Theatre continues 30th Anniversary Season with GORGEOUS in a co-production with Raven Theatre May 1 - June 7, 2025
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Announcing the 2025 Broadway In Chicago Summer Concert
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David Mamet's 'Henry Johnson' in High Powered Premiere at Victory Gardens Biograph
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American Blues Theater presents the Chicago Premiere of Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues
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TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY USHERS IN A NEW ERA WITH MCA PERFORMANCES KICKING OFF ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
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Full Casting Announced for Hell in a Handbag's QUEEN FOR A DAY - July 9 – August 3, 2025 at Bramble Arts Loft - World Premiere!
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Stellar Performances in “Prayer for the French Republic”
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A WONDROUS SOUND - Orchestra and Chorus of the Chicago Lyric Opera is a wondrous compilation of the best of the best!
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Citadel's 'A Jukebox for the Algonquin" - The Reality of Life in a Senior Center sets the Stage for Tunes, Friendship and Rebellion!
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17 April 2025 in Upcoming TheatreThe Artistic Home Studio will present the 2025 edition of its annual CUT TO THE CHASE festival of new one…
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Steppenwolf Theatre Presents YOU WILL GET SICK - June 5 – July 13, 2025 - Chicago Premiere!
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Definition Theatre Presents World Premiere of Black Bone by Tina Fakhrid-Deen
Written by Buzz Center StageDefinition Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of Black Bone, a bold new satire by Chicago playwright Tina Fakhrid-Deen and the first full production to emerge from the company's Amplify Series. Directed by Carla Stillwell, Black Bone will run from May 30…
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Review: Remy Bumppo's 'Art' at Theatre Wit
Written by John AccroccoA fool and their money are soon parted as the old expression goes, but what do you do when that fool is your best friend? Yasmina Reza’s 1996 Tony Award winning play ‘Art’ explores the balance of opinion, influence and… -
BACK IN CHICAGO BY POPULAR DEMAND! TONY AND GRAMMY-WINNING BEST MUSICAL, HADESTOWN IS NOW PLAYING
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