Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL – a one-of-a-kind production that brings the circus arts to the ice for the very first time, returns to NOW Arena (5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates) from March 22-24, 2024.

With seven jaw-dropping traditional circus acts all thrillingly adapted for Cirque du Soleil's first foray into a brand-new creative territory – the ice – CRYSTAL takes audiences on an unforgettable journey into the vivid and whimsical world of imagination.

Watch the CRYSTAL trailer here.

Since 2017, CRYSTAL has dazzled more than 1.9 million people in over 135 cities worldwide, blending the art of skating with adrenaline-inducing acrobatics and aerial feats.

Artistic Director Crystal Manich says, "CRYSTAL is a universal story about finding one's true voice through a journey of discovery. Anyone of any age will connect to the show and our protagonist's breakthrough experience. I am especially excited for CRYSTAL to contribute to the strong arts and culture found in the Chicago area."

General tickets are on-sale as of today. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal.

CRYSTAL – Performance Schedule

Hoffman Estates, IL at NOW Arena

• Friday, March 22^ndat 7:30pm
• Saturday, March 23^rdat 3pm and 7pm
• Sunday, March 24^that 1pm and 5pm

About CRYSTAL
Created by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, CRYSTAL takes audiences on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery full of whimsy and wonder. Feel your adrenaline soar as you dive into a world of playful imagination with the show's protagonist, Crystal, as she learns to see things differently and become who she was always destined to be herself.

Using larger than life visual projections on ice (a Cirque du Soleil first) and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends popular music with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil, CRYSTAL transports audiences on an unforgettable visual and auditory experience full of magic and wonder.

The show is suitable for all ages.

Fun Facts

-       CRYSTAL is Cirque du Soleil's 42^nd creation and the company's very first acrobatic experience on ice.

-       Since its creation in 2017, the show has toured to over 135 cities in 15 different countries, including Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, France, Germany, and more

-       This one-of-a-kind performance features seven traditional circus acts, including trapeze, hand-to-hand, Banquine, aerial straps, hand-to-trapeze, juggling, and hand balancing – all thrillingly adapted to be performed on ice!

-       CRYSTAL is the first Cirque du Soleil production that uses real snow – the team makes approximately 300 snowballs each week.

Follow #CRYSTAL and #cirquedusoleil on social media:
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Chicago's favorite leading lady Heidi Kettenring, who has appeared at Marriott Theatre and many other venues across Chicagoland and the country, will perform in concert at Marriott Theatre for one night only: Monday, March 18 at 7:30 pm. The multi-award winner's star turns nationwide include Broadway in Chicago's WICKED, DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (National Tour), THE KING AND I (Jeff Award), HELLO, DOLLY!, FUNNY GIRL and more. While Kettenring's appearances at Marriott Theatre have included tribute concerts saluting Karen Carpenter, in addition to her many musical theatre roles, for this concert she will tell her own story. She'll offer tales of her travels, triumphs, and trials on the musical theatre stage, adding her signature warmth to beloved pop hits and musical theatre favorites like "People," "Close To You," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "So Long, Dearie," and "You've Got A Friend," accompanied by an exceptional band.
 
Tickets are $60.00 (not including tax and fees) and can be purchased now by calling the box office at 847-634-0200, in person at the Marriott Theatre Box Office, or online at marriotttheatre.com. Marriott Theatre subscribers receive a 20% discount and groups of 20 or more receive a substantial discount (subscriber and group discounts only available through Marriott Theatre Box Office). Marriott Theatre is located at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL 60069.
 
PRODUCTION DETAILS
 
Show Title:    SOMETHING WONDERFUL: HEIDI KETTENRING IN CONCERT
Show type:     Concert (PG)
Dates:             Monday, March 18 at 7:30 pm
Location:       MARRIOTT THEATRE, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Tickets:          $60.00 (not including taxes and fees)
Box Office:    847-634-0200
Website:         https://www.marriotttheatre.com/show/something-wonderful-heidi-kettenring-in-concert

Today, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) announced program selections for Winter Series: Of Hope, the second installment of Season 46, Abundance. The engagement will include the world premieres of three unique works, alongside an encore of audience favorites, Love Infinite by Randy Duncan; and Dear Frankie by Rennie Harris. The Winter Series will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (220 E. Chicago Ave.) Feb. 23 through March 3, 2024.

“Of Hope speaks to our anticipation and promise for the future,” explains HSDC Artistic Director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. “Our Winter Series will feature three inspiring world premieres that will further shape who and where we are as a company: dynamic, broad and eclectic.”

The mixed repertory Winter Series: Of Hope will serve as a breath of fresh air for audience members with a combination of inventive world premieres and beloved revivals. Program A (Feb. 23 – 25) will present an encore of Randy Duncan's Love Infinite, hailed as "athletic and balletic and crowd-pleasing" by Irene Hsiao with the Chicago Reader, along with the recent HSDC commission Dear Frankie by Doris Duke award-winner Rennie Harris. The world premiere of a new duet by Resident Artist Aszure Barton completes the program. 

Program B (Feb. 29 – March 3) will feature two world premieres: Echoes of our Ancestors by acclaimed director and choreographer, Maria Torres, whose contributions have paved the way for Latinx artists, and another by HSDC alums Alice Klock and Florian Lochner, known together as FLOCK. While Klock and Lochner have individually choregraphed pieces for the company, this will be FLOCK's first work on HSDC. The program will also present another chance to experience Rennie Harris’ tribute to Chicago house music, Dear Frankie.

For those interested in deepening their engagement with Hubbard Street, tickets are also on sale for the special Opening Night event on Thursday, Feb. 22: Bold Moves for Bold Voices, a fundraising event and performance that brings together rising artists and innovative leaders in our community. Led by HSDC Artistic Director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, the curated conversation will give audience members an inside look at the process behind creation with award-winning writer, producer and educator Tarell Alvin McCraney (Oscar-winner for Moonlight, Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director, MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient) and acclaimed choreographer and HSDC Resident Artist Aszure Barton, whose newest work will premiere during the program.

Tickets for Season 46 Winter and Spring programs are now available by calling the Hubbard Street Box Office at 312-850-9744 ext. 5, or by visiting www.hubbardstreetdance.com/season-46/tickets/ and range from $15 to $95. Midseason Subscription are also available for those interested in unlocking a great suite of benefits for Winter and Spring Series and beyond, and start at $52. Visit www.hubbardstreetdance.com to learn more.

Hubbard Street is grateful to Season 46: Abundance partners Athletico Physical Therapy, Chicago Athletic Clubs, and the Illinois Arts Council for their continued support.

The Season 46 Winter Series: Of Hope performance schedule is as follows:

Winter Series: Of Hope

Thursday, Feb. 23 – Sunday, March 3, 2024

at the Edlis Neeson Theater, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m.

PROGRAM A Featuring:

Love Infinite by Randy Duncan

A World Premiere by Aszure Barton

Dear Frankie by Rennie Harris

Thursday, Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 1, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 2, 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 3, 3 p.m.

PROGRAM B Featuring:

Echoes of our Ancestors by Maria Torres

A World Premiere by FLOCK 

Dear Frankie by Rennie Harris

About Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s mission is to bring artists, art and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate and change lives through the experience of dance.

For 46 years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance – bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. Hubbard Street’s ever-evolving repertory, created by today’s leading choreographic voices, makes them a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to host. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 U.S. states.

At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. HSDC Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration - expanding our reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to world-class dance and instruction.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1977, and Conte served as Artistic Director for 23 years. Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell began her tenure at the company in March 2021. In January 2022, HSDC moved to their new home in Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue.

Visit hubbardstreetdance.com for more information.

Jackalope Theatre Company is proud to launch its 16^th season at its new home in Edgewater’s Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd., with the Chicago premiere of the solo performance The Smuggler, February 16 – March 16, by Ronán Noone, directed by Gus Menary. The running time is currently 75 minutes with no intermission.Previews are Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. with the press opening Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $15-25 and are on sale now at JackalopeTheatre.com or by calling the box office at 773-340-2543.

The Smuggler is a thriller in rhyme. It is 2023. Tim Finnegan is a clever and enterprising Irish immigrant tending bar on the island of Amity, an affluent summer enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. When his child falls ill and he loses his job, Finnegan is drawn into the dark world that exists only in the shadows of the wealthy island. The Smuggler has been called “Terrific” by The New Yorker, “Spellbinding” by DC Metro Arts and a “Ripping Yarn” by the Boston Globe. One part “Breaking Bad,” one part Beowulf, The Smuggler is a modern tale of corruption, morality and giant rats that asks what it means to call yourself a "citizen.”

“We’re thrilled to announce the first play in Jackalope’s 16th Season, housed at Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Coach House,” said Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed. "The Smuggler is a hypnotic and lyrical feat that's been making its way around the country in recent seasons. I know our audiences will be charmed and challenged by the questions of citizenship this one-man show explores. After a challenging and transformative year, we're building momentum in a new era for our company. By producing in Edgewater at Berger Park Coach House and operating at Loyola Park, we are strengthening connections to our community while expanding our neighborhood footprint.” 

Jackalope recently moved its offices, rehearsal space and education program to Loyola Park Fieldhouse in Rogers Park and have worked closely with the Chicago Park District to ensure a sustainable path forward in their partnership. “We are grateful to head into 2024 in continued collaboration with the Chicago Park District.” said Interim Executive Director Andrew Swanson. "We feel fortunate to have this opportunity to continue forward with our mission and our commitment to our community.”

ABOUT RONÁN NOONE, PLAYWRIGHT THE SMUGGLER

Ronán Noone (he/him) believes in playing with a myriad of elements to find the right way to tell a good story; a necessary story that tells us who we are, where we have been and where we are going. He believes in stories that resonate beyond the theatre’s door and that add ideas to the national conversation. He believes in the playwright as a thinker traveling in the direction of their fear. His play The Smuggler won the Best Playwright award at the 1st Irish Festival of New York in January of 2019. The Second Girl (Thirst) was the inaugural winner of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Excellence in Playwriting Award (2015) and an Edgerton Award winner in 2014. Additional plays include The Atheist, Brendan, Scenes from an Adultery, The Lepers of Baile Baiste, The Blowin of Baile Gall, The Gigolo of Baile Breag (The Baile Trilogy), The Compass Rose, Little Black Dress and A Small Death.

ABOUT GUS MENARY, DIRECTOR THE SMUGGLER

Gus Menary (he/him) Most recently, Gus directed David Greig's adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's Solaris at Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, where he served as Artistic Director. While there, he oversaw the pivot to audio plays during the COVID shutdown and produced world-premiere audio adaptations of authors such as Octavia E. Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and Oscar Wilde. As part of Book-It’s return to the stage, he produced world-premiere stage adaptations of Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter and Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, as well as many other modern adaptations. As director, he led the productions of Julian Glover’s Beowulf and Bilal Dardai's world-premiere adaptation of Jamyang Norbu's The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes. Previously, he served as the Artistic Director of Jackalope Theatre. Under his leadership, Jackalope produced world-premieres by Ike Holter (Prowess and The Light Fantastic), Lloyd Suh (Franklinland), Idris Goodwin (The Raid), and Calamity West (In the Canyon, Rolling), among many other national and regional premieres. Onstage, he directed Aaron Loeb's Ideation, Kenneth Lin's Life On Paper, Shawn Reddy's My Name is Mudd, Andrew Swanson's Lunacy! and Moonshiner, and Ike Holter's The Light Fantastic and Exit Strategy.  

ABOUT JACKALOPE THEATRE

Jackalope Theatre Company expands the definition of American Identity by engaging with communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Jackalope is a premier home for new and exciting Off-Loop Theatre based in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. They are committed to cultivating new voices that contribute to an expanding American culture and mythology. Each season, Jackalope produces full-length plays, new play development programming and provides free classes in partnership with the Chicago Park District.

Jackalope Theatre Company is proud to launch its 16^th season at its new home in Edgewater’s Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd., with the Chicago premiere of the solo performance The Smuggler, February 16 – March 16, by Ronán Noone, directed by Gus Menary. The running time is currently 75 minutes with no intermission. Previews are Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. with the press opening Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $15-25 and are on sale now at JackalopeTheatre.com or by calling the box office at 773-340-2543.

Definition Theatre announces two world premiere plays as part of its 2024 season. The company has also added stage and production manager Julie Jachym and Sound Designer Willow James to the ensemble and welcomes media producer and host Troy Pryor to its artistic advisory board. Definition will open its season with the world premiere of Judy's Life's Work by Loy A. Webb, directed by Michelle Bester, running February 2–25, 2024, followed by An Educated Guess by Juan José Alfonso and directed by Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips, running May 3–26, 2024. Both plays will be performed in Hyde Park with location, casts and crew to be announced at a later date. 

"To say it is an absolute honor to work with Definition Theatre and Loy A. Webb, would be an understatement. Both are such impactive engines of knowledge, creativity, and empowerment," comments Director Michelle Bester. "Definition Theatre has done some incredible work already in the city of Chicago, more specifically, the Southside, where there is an obvious void. Loy Webb has done tremendous work bringing to light Black legacy and Black excellence, and always writing beautiful Black stories for all to enjoy and learn from. The opportunity to direct such a piece as Judy's Life's Work with both entities is such a fulfillment for me, and I'm beyond excited to breathe life into this project along with the fantastically talented cast! My mission as a director is to not only entertain but to educate, and thankfully this project is allowing me to do just that plus more!" 

Loy Webb is a Chicago-born playwright, attorney, and theatre journalist. Her play The Light garnered an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play and a Joseph Jefferson Award. 

"I look forward to tackling this powerful story that we have been developing with Juan since 2018," notes Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips. "It is centered around Alba, a woman who is soul-searching for meaning in her life while running up against the fragility of our current immigration policies, practices, and procedures at work. Juan is an incredibly talented writer who has taken many complex issues and woven them into a work of art that will spark meaningful conversation and a call to action for our community." 

"This is an exciting time for storytellers," says Troy Pryor. "There are so many mediums to connect with an audience, but there is something special about being in front of a live audience. I'm also excited about the opportunity to help build Definiton's media department with a roster of amazing creators." 

ABOUT THE SEASON

The world premiere of 

Judy's Life's Work 

by Loy A. Webb 

directed by Michelle Bester  

February 2—25, 2024 

Press Opening Thursday, February 8, 2024. 

Tickets: Starting at $25

Only a month after their mother's death, Xavier, a highly praised ex-boxer, and his sister Charli, a brilliant pre-med student, fight to determine the future of their mother's groundbreaking medical notes. As they work through the grief, heartbreak, pain, and unresolved trauma of their childhoods, we discover a story of the healing power of sibling love. 

The world premiere of 

An Educated Guess 

By Juan José Alfonso 

Directed by Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips 

May 3–26, 2024

Press Opening Thursday, May 9, 2024

Tickets: Starting at $35

This play was originally workshopped by Definition Theatre in 2018 with a private reading hosted at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. 

It's been a few years since the September 11 attacks on New York City, but the wounds are still raw. We find Alba Guerrero, a rising star at the federal immigration office in Manhattan, on the day she realizes an immigrant she admitted into the United States has committed a heinous act of mass murder. As her life begins to unravel, we meet characters from all over the world– helping Alba come to grips with guilt, forgiveness, and the inherent fallibility of our government systems.

ABOUT DEFINITION THEATRE

Definition Theatre is a culturally diverse theater dedicated to telling language-driven, relationship-oriented, socially relevant stories about and created with underrepresented communities in Chicago. Our ensemble is a collective of artists, art administrators, educators, and designers who prioritize working towards and representing a more equitable theatre industry. 

Definition has built its reputation on work that reflects its unique voice. It shared the words of Academy Award- Winner Tarell Alvin McCraney in The Brothers Size; it grooved with Amiri Baraka's whirlwind story of a chance meeting on a train in Dutchman. In partnership with, The New Colony staged the world premiere of Byhalia, Mississippi, which starred Academy Award nominee ensemble member Kiki Layne. In association with the Goodman Theatre, Definition staged the Chicago premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' An Octoroon, a subversive take on race in America that captivated audiences. Definition sent us all to the moon with ensemble member James Ijames's Moon Man Walk, explored the challenges of America's public-school system through Nilaja Sun's No Child... and highlighted the first- generation experience in the world premiere of Sam Kebede's ETHIOPIANAMERICA. The company returned to the stage and inspected white privilege, racial politics and the fine line between appropriation and opportunity in ensemble member James Ijames's WHITE. In 2023, they examined the dark and sweet spots of Black American identity with the choreopoem, ALAIYO and is a searing examination of families, drama, family dramas, and the insidiousness of white supremacy in FAIRVIEW. 

Definition Ensemble members include: Adia Alli, Owais Ahmed, Ariel Beller, Jared Bellot, Carley Cornelius, Ari Craven, Danielle Davis, Julie Jachym, Willow James, Martasia Jones, Slick Jorgensen, Yeaji Kim, Kristy Hall, James Ijames, Kiki Layne, Kelson Michael McAuliffe, Victor Musoni, Neel McNeill, Sophiyaa Nayar, Karyn Oates, Alexandra Oparka, Julian Parker, Maya Vinice Prentiss, Tyrone Phillips, Ireon Roach, Jacqueline Rosas, Christopher Sheard, and Dujon Smith. 

Definition Artistic Advisory Board members include: director May Adrales, Steppenwolf ensemble member Alana Arenas, actress Shannon Cochran, Erica Daniels, actor Brandon Dirden, actor Jason Dirden, director Pam Mackinnon, Equity Quotient CEO Keryl McCord, professor JW Morrissette, director Ron OJ Parson, professor/lighting designer Kathy Perkins, media producer and host Troy Osborne Pryor, Tony Award-winning actress and stage director Phylicia Rashad, and Goodman Theatre director in residence Chuck Smith. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director and Neel McNeill is the Executive Director. For additional information, visit definitiontheatre.org and @definitiontheatre on Facebook and Instagram #stayinit

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to announce Harry Lennix (The Blacklist, The DC Universe) and Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: SVU, I Wanna Dance with Somebody) will join the cast of its world premiere of Purpose, an epic family drama by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad.

Lennix and Tunie are joined by ensemble members Alana Arenas (David Makes Man, The Brother/Sister Plays), Glenn Davis (King James, Downstate) and Jon Michael Hill (Elementary, Pass Over) with Ayanna Bria Bakari (Last Night and the Night Before, The Chi).

"I am simply honored to welcome Harry and Tamara as they make their Steppenwolf debuts in Purpose," shares Artistic Director Glenn Davis. "Harry – born and raised in Chicago and a Northwestern alum – has been a lifelong mentor of mine, so appearing onstage with him is both thrilling and humbling. Meanwhile I've known Tamara and have been a big fan of her work for years and have nothing but admiration for her career across film, TV and theater. I know they both will feel right at home at Steppenwolf, and we look forward to sharing their immense talents with Chicago audiences."

Purpose will play March 14 – April 21, 2024 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago Single tickets for Purpose starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 6 pm.

For decades, the influential Jasper family has been a pillar of Black American Politics: civil rights leaders, pastors and congressmen. But like all families, there are cracks and secrets just under the surface. When the youngest son Nazareth returns home to Illinois with an uninvited friend in tow, the family is forced into a reckoning with itself, its faith and the legacies of Black radicalism. Rowdy, hilarious and filled with intrigue, Purpose is an epic family drama – a long-awaited world premiere from one of the country's most celebrated voices.

The creative team includes Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Design), Dede Ayite (Costume Design), Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting Design), Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen (Sound Design), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Purpose – World Premiere!

Playwright: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Director: Phylicia Rashad

Cast: Alana Arenas (Morgan Jasper), Glenn Davis (Solomon "Junior" Jasper Jr.) and Jon Michael Hill (Nazareth "Naz" Jasper) with Ayanna Bria Bakari (Angela Houston) Harry Lennix (Solomon "Sonny" Jasper) and Tamara Tunie (Claudine Jasper).

Location: Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, March 14 – Saturday, March 23, 2024

Regular run: Tuesday, March 26 – Sunday, April 21, 2024

Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Tuesday, March 19 or Tuesday, April 16; the will be a 2 pm performance on Wednesday, April 10; there will not be a 7:30 pm performance on Wednesday, April 10.

Tickets: Single tickets for Purpose ($20 - $102) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are also currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-described and touch tour: Sunday, April 7 at 3 pm (1:30 pm touch tour, 3 pm curtain)

Open-captioned: Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 13 at 3 pm

ASL-interpreted: public performance: Friday, April 12 at 7:30 pm 

Artist Biographies:

Alana Arenas (Morgan Jasper) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007 and created the role of Pecola Breedlove for the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of The Bluest Eye, which also played at the New Victory Theater Off-Broadway. Recent Steppenwolf appearances include the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of Monster, The Fundamentals, Marie Antoinette, Tribes, Belleville, Head of Passes, Good People, Three Sisters, The March, Man in Love, Middletown, The Hot L Baltimore, The Etiquette of Vigilance, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Tempest, The Crucible, Spare Change and The Sparrow Project. Other theatre credits include Disgraced (American Theater Company), The Arabian Nights (Lookingglass Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Eyes (eta Creative Arts), SOST (MPAACT), WVON (Black Ensemble Theater) and Hecuba (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Television and film credits include David Makes Man, Canal Street, Crisis, Boss, The Beast, Kabuku Rides and Lioness of Lisabi. She is originally from Miami, Florida, where she began her training at the New World School of the Arts. Alana holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Ayanna Bria Bakari (Angela Houston) Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Last Night and the Night Before. Chicago: Relentless, Too Heavy for Your Pocket (TimeLine Theatre); Relentless, How to Catch Creation (Goodman Theatre); As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Niceties – Black Theater Alliance Award, Stickfly (Writers Theatre). Regional: The Salvagers (Asst. Dir. at Yale Repertory Theatre); Clyde's (TheaterWorks Hartford); Sunflowered (Northern Sky Theater); The Rainmaker (Peninsula Players Theatre); The Orginalist (Indiana Repertory Theatre). Television: Wu-Tang: An American Saga (HULU), The CHI (Showtime), Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Empire (FOX) and 61st Street (AMC). Film: Holiday Heist (BET). Education: BFA, The Theatre School at DePaul University. Ayanna Bria is a governing ensemble member of The Story Theatre and is represented by Stewart Talent. #BLACKLIVESMATTER.

Glenn Davis (Solomon "Junior" Jasper Jr.) is an actor, producer and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company alongside Audrey Francis, where he has been an ensemble member since 2017. His Steppenwolf credits include: Downstate, The Christians, You Got Older, The Brother/Sister Plays, Head of Passes, King James (also Mark Taper Forum, Manhattan Theatre Club) and most recently Describe the Night. Broadway credits include: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (also Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper Forum). Off-Broadway credits include: Transfers (MCC Theatre), Wig Out! (Vineyard Theatre) and Downstate (Playwrights Horizons). Other regional credits include: Moscow x6 (Williamstown Theatre Festival). International credits include: Downstate (National Theatre, UK), Edward II, The Winter's Tale and As You Like It (Stratford Festival), as well as Othello at The Shakespeare Company. Television credits include: Billions, 24, The Unit, Jericho and The Good Wife. Glenn is an artistic associate at the Young Vic in London and at the Vineyard Theatre in New York. He is also a partner in Cast Iron Entertainment, a collective of artists consisting of Sterling K. Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Jon Michael Hill, Andre Holland and Tarell Alvin McCraney. Cast Iron is currently in residence at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. In 2021, Glenn founded The Chatham Grove Company along with his producing partner Tarell Alvin McCraney, which is currently in an overall deal with Universal Content Productions (UCP).

Jon Michael Hill (Nazareth "Naz" Jasper) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007. Steppenwolf: True West (also Galway International Arts Festival), Pass Over, Constellations, Head of Passes, The Hot L Baltimore, The Tempest, Kafka on the Shore, The Unmentionables. Broadway: Pass Over, Superior Donuts. Off-Broadway: The Refuge Plays (New York Theatre Workshop) Pass Over (Lincoln Center). Film: Pass Over, Widows, In The Radiant City, No Pay, Nudity. Television: Upcoming: A Man in Full (Netflix) Elementary (CBS), Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC), Eastbound and Down (HBO), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) and Person of Interest (CBS).

Harry Lennix (Solomon "Sonny" Jasper) is a distinguished film, television, stage actor and producer. For the past 10 years, he starred as "Harold Cooper" in NBC's long-running, hit series The Blacklist. Lennix's breakout role was "Dresser" in 20th Century Studio's feature The Five Heartbeats, from director Robert Townsend. He has portrayed fan-favorite characters in blockbuster franchise films such as "General Swanwick/Martian Manhunter" in DC Entertainment's Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder's Justice League and as "Commander Lock" in Warner Brothers' The Matrix franchise films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. He also starred as "Joe Adams" in the Oscar Award-winning feature Ray.

Lennix received widespread critical acclaim and a Golden Satellite Award as "Aaron" in Julie Taymor's Titus with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. Other select film credits over his decades-spanning career include Spike Lee's Chi-Raq and Clockers, Gina Prince-Bythewood's Love & Basketball, Stomp the Yard, Canal Street, Nothing Is Impossible, The Last Fall, A Beautiful Soul, State of Play, Resurrecting the Champ, Chrystal, Barbershop 2: Back In Business, Get on the Bus and Bob Roberts. He has also starred in and produced several films for his production company Exponent Media Group.

On television, Lennix garnered acclaim starring as political activist "Adam Clayton Powell, Jr." in Showtime's Keep the Faith Baby. For his performance, he won a Black Reel Award and earned Golden Satellite Award and NAACP Image Award Nominations. He also starred as "Jim Gardner," the Chief of Staff to POTUS, in the Golden Globe-nominated ABC series Commander in Chief, for which he received an NAACP Image Award Nomination. Other television credits include Showtime's Billions, HBO's Insecure and Little Britain, CW's Emily Owens, M.D., NBC's ER, Fox's Dollhouse and 24, among many others. He recently lent his voice to Matthew A. Cherry's animated MAX series Young Love, based on his Oscar-winning short film, Cartoon Network's Transformers: Robots in Disguise and can soon be heard in Zack Snyder's animated Netflix series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.

In theatre, Lennix made his Broadway debut in August Wilson's Tony nominated Radio Golf. He also starred in August Wilson's King Hedley II at the Mark Taper Forum. His portrayal of "Malcolm X" at the Goodman Theater earned him the first Ollie Award. He received Joseph Jefferson Citations for his starring roles in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Caught in the Act. He has directed and appeared in productions across the country including Northlight Theatre Company's Permanent Collection at LA's Greenway Arts Alliance, which was later remounted at The Kirk Douglas Theater. He directed the stage version of Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats, which received three NAACP Theater Award Nominations and The Glass Menagerie for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company. In 2001, he was part of the first American company to be Invited to the Royal Shakespeare Company in the production of Cymbeline. This spring he returns to the Chicago stage in two new plays: Steppenwolf's Purpose and Congo Square's How I Learned What I Learned.

A proud Chicagoan raised on the city's South Side, Lennix is creating The Lillian Marcie Center and AAMPA (African American Museum of The Performing Arts), an arts complex he calls "the Black version of Lincoln Center." In 2019 he was named Ambassador for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and brings his message of early detection through PSA's and public speaking. He serves as Spokesman for NOBLE, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and is an ambassador to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. He is on the Advisory Council of Northwestern University, his alma mater, and is a board member of Reading Rescue, a training program for educators teaching reading skills to at-risk elementary school children.

Tamara Tunie (Claudine Jasper) has a distinguished body of work that encompasses stage, television and film. Last year she was seen in the role of Cissy Houston, mother of the great American icon Whitney Houston, in I Wanna Dance with Somebody, reuniting her with Caveman's Valentine and Eve's Bayou director, Kasi Lemmons.

Ms. Tunie also triumphed on the London stage last season at the Old Vic in the critically-acclaimed production of Mike Bartlett's The 47th, in which she starred as Kamala Harris opposite Bertie Carvel's Donald Trump in a futuristic imagining of a presidential run-off between the two. Under the direction of Rupert Goold, Tunie received glowing notices: "Tamara Tunie is magnetizing in her performance," "the charismatic Tamara Tunie," "utterly convincing," "sturdy under fire."

One of the distinct hallmarks of Ms. Tunie's remarkable career is a long examination of American culture and its unique social and power dynamics. Beginning with such films as Oliver Stone's Wall Street with Michael Douglas, Harold Becker's City Hall with Al Pacino, Taylor Hackford's Devil's Advocate with Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron, to Robert Zemeckis' Flight opposite Denzel Washington, with whom she also starred on Broadway as "Calpurnia" in Julius Caesar, Ms. Tunie's attraction to content with depth and meaning is apparent. This thread continues with the Sundance TV series The Red Road, where Tamara starred as the challenged Native-American tribal chief "Marie Van Der Veen" opposite Jason Momoa; the BBC/Netflix international drama Black Earth Rising which scrutinizes the West's complicity in the destabilization of Africa, portraying "Under-Secretary of State, Eunice Clayton;" and AMC's Dietland where she explored the underbelly of the American Beauty-Industrial Complex as "Julia," manager of the mysterious "beauty closet."

Ms. Tunie's award-winning stage works include the world premiere of American Son, a searing examination of race and class in which she originated the role of "Kendra Ellis-Connor;" her Obie-Award winning turn as "Marvelous" in Danai Gurira's Familiar, which grapples with identity, assimilation, tradition and the clashing of ideals of an African-Immigrant family; and most recently she starred in the world premiere of Bernarda's Daughters, where she portrayed matriarch "Florence Delva" with "oracular grandeur," another contemporary play that "mines" the effects of gentrification, police brutality and what it means to be "American,"  in a Haitian-American family in Brooklyn.

Ms. Tunie first gained an international following in the role of medical examiner "Dr. Melinda Warner" with 23 seasons on Dick Wolf's legendary NBC series Law & Order: SVU. She was a series regular on the Netflix cult favorite Cowboy Bebop, and she appeared on the Apple-TV futuristic-drama See as "The Bank" opposite Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard.  

Recurring guest-starring roles include such hit shows as Almost Family, Emergence, Better Call Saul, Blue Bloods, Billions, Alpha House, 24, Elementary, The Good Wife and Survivor's Remorse.

Ms. Tunie is a Founder of Black Theatre United. She is Chair Emerita of the Board of Directors of Figure Skating in Harlem, a non-profit organization that supports academic excellence and instills life skills to young girls in the Harlem community through the art and discipline of figure skating, to ensure they are champions "off the Ice!" She serves on the Board of Directors at Harlem Stage/The Gatehouse, City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, and is on the Advisory Board of Hearts of Gold, a not for profit that supports women and their children in New York City shelters, and helps them transition out of the system.

In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg awarded Ms. Tunie the "Made in New York Award" from the City of New York, for her support and commitment to Film, Television and Theater.

Ms. Tunie holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Carnegie-Mellon University, and now serves on the Executive Board of Trustees.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Playwright) is a Brooklyn-based playwright and producer and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Recent theater credits include The Comeuppance (Signature Theatre), Girls (Yale Rep), Everybody (Signature Theatre), War (Yale Rep; Lincoln Center/LCT3), Gloria (Vineyard Theatre), Appropriate (Obie Award; Signature Theatre), An Octoroon (Obie Award; Soho Rep, Theatre for a New Audience) and Neighbors (The Public Theater). He was showrunner, executive producer and writer for HULU/FX's drama series, Kindred, based on Octavia E. Butler's groundbreaking novel. He currently teaches at Yale University and serves as Vice President of the Dramatists Guild council and on the boards of Soho Rep, Park Avenue Armory, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Honors include a USA Artists fellowship, a Guggenheim fellowship, the MacArthur fellowship, the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award.

Phylicia Rashad (Director) An accomplished actor and stage director, Phylicia Rashad became a household name when she portrayed Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, a character whose enduring appeal has earned her numerous honors and awards. She has appeared in NBC's This Is Us, in the popular Fox TV series Empire, in Tarell Alvin McCraney's Peabody Award-winning series David Makes Man on the OWN Network, Diarra From Detroit, The Good Fight, Little America, and The Crossover.

While television was a catalyst in the rise of Ms. Rashad's career, she has also been a force on the stage, appearing both on and Off Broadway, often in projects that showcase her musical talent such as Jelly's Last Jam, Into the Woods, Dreamgirls and The Wiz. 

In 2016, Ms. Rashad was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame and received the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play for her performance as Shelah in Tarell Alvin McCraney's Head of Passes at the Public Theater. Ms. Rashad performed the role of the Duchess of Gloucester in Richard II, the 2020 Shakespeare on the Radio collaboration between The Public Theater and New York public radio station, WNYC.

On Broadway, Ms. Rashad has performed in Dominique Morriseau's Skeleton Crew (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), August: Osage County, Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (a role that she reprised on the London stage), August Wilson's Gem of The Ocean (Tony Award nomination) and in Shakespeare's Cymbeline at Lincoln Center. Ms. Rashad received both the Drama Desk and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her riveting performance as Lena Younger in the 2004 Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in The Sun.

Among Ms. Rashad's film credits are Creed, Creed II, Creed III, Just Wright, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf and the 2020 release, A Fall From Grace. Recent film projects include Black Box, Soul and the Netflix holiday musical, Jingle Jangle. 

Ms. Rashad made her critically acclaimed directorial debut at the Seattle Repertory Theater with August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. She has also directed Stephen Adly Guirgis' Our Lady of 121^st Street, The Roommate, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone (2014 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Director), Immediate Family, Fences, A Raisin in the Sun and Four Little Girls.

Respected in the academic world, Ms. Rashad has served as Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University since May 2021. In February 2023, she was appointed Howard University's inaugural holder of the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities. Ms. Rashad has conducted Master Classes at many colleges, universities and arts organizations including Howard University, New York University, Carnegie Mellon, The Black Arts Institute of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the prestigious Ten Chimneys Foundation. Ms. Rashad also holds the distinction of being the first recipient of the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre at Fordham University.

Rashad's commitment to excellence in the performing arts has been recognized by the numerous colleges and universities that have presented her with Honorary Doctorates.

Ms. Rashad has also received countless esteemed awards including the BET Honors Theatrical Arts Award, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's Spirit of Shakespeare Award and the Inaugural Legacy Award of the Ruben Santiago Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center.

She serves on several important boards including Brainerd Institute Heritage (which is steering the restoration of Kumler Hall at the historic site of Brainerd Institute in Chester, South Carolina) and DADA, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Since 2017, Ms. Rashad has been the Brand Ambassador of the National Trust for Historic Preservation African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. 

Phylicia Rashad graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard University and is the mother of two adult children. 

Accessibility

As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production (see dates above). Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is proud to announce the authors and plays being presented at the 37th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 4 - 28, 2024 at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen. Previews are Thursday, Jan. 4 - Saturday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. with the Opening Ceremony, Sunday, Jan. 7 at 2:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are $15 - $30 are on sale now at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Educators may schedule school group matinees via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

For 37 years, the Young Playwrights Festival, the oldest such festival in the United States, has engaged and inspired high school students across Chicago by teaching them to craft one-act plays. Under the auspices of Pegasus Theatre Chicago, the winning teen playwrights’ productions are work-shopped and staged by industry professionals. The competition typically receives more than 300 submissions annually.  

“It’s important that audiences start the year celebrating the work of these young playwrights,” said Executive and Producing Artistic Director ILesa Duncan.”The work from all over Chicago, represents the talent of these teens and offers an artistic outlet for them to mine their world for inspiration while exploring potential careers. We look forward to sharing these four new works.”

The 37th Young Playwrights Festival includes:

Splashes of Paint by Amanda Heckler 

(Taft High School, Teacher: Adrienne Carmona)

Director: Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke 

During the Renaissance period, a young woman is forced to hide her visual art painting which jeopardizes her happiness.

You’re Like, Dead  by Ella Johnson 

(Whitney Young Magnet High School, Teacher: Elizabeth Danesh)

Director: ILesa Duncan 

Richard accidentally dies and befriends Death in the afterlife as they both grapple with their loneliness.

Can’t Sleep by Alexander Loaiza 

(Thomas Kelly High School, Teacher: Chani Buchic)

Director: Enrico Spada

In order to stave off the grief of his dog dying James pretends he's in a happy kids television show.  Can he acknowledge his childhood traumas and awake from his dream?

Listen by Grant Parris 

(Whitney Young Magnet High School, Teacher: Elizabeth Danesh)

Director: ILesa Duncan  

Two friends George and Zach find themselves in a time loop that ends in tragedy. Can they stop the devastating chain reaction from repeating?

The cast of the 37th Annual Young Playwrights Festival includes, in alphabetical order: Seth Hubbard, Evan Morales, Ben Murphy, William A.S. Rose II, AunDria TraNay and Hadar Zusman with understudies Josh Braden, Kyle Johnson and Diego Rivera Rodriquez. 

The production team for the 37th Annual Young Playwrights Festival includes: ILesa Duncan (director, Listen and You’re Like, Dead); Enrico Spada (director, Can’t Sleep); Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke (director, Splashes of Paint); Lindsay Mummert (scenic designer); Josh Wroblewski (lighting designer); Brandon Reed (sound designer); Jessica Gowens (costume designer); Amanda Herrman (props designer); Line Bower (technical director); Avery Spellmeyer (head electrician); Adi Davis (production manager); NaVada Reed (stage manager) and Ben Locke (casting director).

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

RESHMI HAZRA RUSTEBAKKE, DIRECTOR, Splashes of Paint 

Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke is a multi-faceted film and theater maker who develops work as a creator, director, producer, storyteller and curator. She works creatively developing new work and also directing, producing and production managing many varieties of shoots and plays. She has worked at The Vineyard, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Free Street and many more. She is the co-director of critically acclaimed “BRUJOS” and director for “8,000,” “FOBia,” “The Haven,” “Ethel and Agnes,” “Geeta’s Guide to Moving On” and several more projects in development. She has her BFA from New York University, Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. During her time in New York, she received the Robert Moss Directing Fellow at Playwrights Horizons Theatre, as well as the Artist of Color Fellowship at New York Theatre Workshop.

ILESA DUNCAN, DIRECTOR, You’re Like, Dead and Listen

ILesa Duncan is the executive and producing artistic director at Pegasus Theatre Chicago and the artistic director and an ensemble member at Lifeline Theatre. She has directed numerous plays for Pegasus’ Young Playwrights Festival as well as Eclipsed (Jeff Nominated), Shakin’ The Mess Outta Misery (Jeff Nominated), Rutherford’s Travels (Jeff Nominated, co-adapter), The Green Book, For Her as a Piano, and Blacula: Young, Black & Undead. At Lifeline, she recently directed From the Mississippi Delta, Neverwhere (Jeff Recommended 2018) and Blue Shadow (2010 KidSeries Premiere). A producer, director, writer, educator and theater-maker, Duncan is an avid collaborator on new work. Duncan has also worked with The Goodman, Writers Theatre, Congo Square, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Stage Left and Chicago Dramatists, as well as Contemporary American Theatre Company (Ohio), The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Arena Stage (Washington D.C.) and Lincoln Center Theater (New York). As an educator, she has led youth development and arts education programs in Chicago for more than 13 years. She is a past awardee of an NEA/TCG Directing fellowship and a 3 Arts Ragdale’s Fellowship. She is a member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s Lab and the Chicago Director’s Lab and is an associate artist with Chicago Dramatists (where she previously served as education and community engagement director).

ENRICO SPADA, DIRECTOR, Can’t Sleep

Enrico Spada is a freelance director and teaching artist who returns to the Young Playwrights Festival where he directed Dead Boy Walking in 2024. Other credits include: Much Ado About Nothing at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre; The Light in the Piazza, The Illusion, All's Well That Ends Well and Kimberly Akimbo at Illinois State University and Sleeping Beauty at Illinois Shakespeare Festival. As founder and artistic director of Pittsfield Shakespeare in the Park, Spada directed Twelfth Night, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet. He received his MFA candidate from the professional directing program at Illinois State University/Illinois Shakespeare Festival and holds a B.A. in acting and theatre Education from Emerson College in Boston.

ABOUT PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO

Pegasus Theatre Chicago has been a mainstay in the Chicago theater community for more than four decades. Its mission is to champion new, authentic voices and produce boldly imaginative theatre primarily by and about black or other people of color. Home of the Young Playwrights Festival, the company promotes cultural equity while celebrating diversity, inclusion and first voice and is committed to initiating important conversations through the arts with strong community engagement and socially relevant programming. The Young Playwrights Festival for high school-age scribes celebrates its 37th year in 2024. Pegasus Theatre Chicago has received 77 Joseph Jefferson Awards since its inception.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is proud to announce the authors and plays being presented at the 37th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 4 - 28, 2024 at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen. Previews are Thursday, Jan. 4 - Saturday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. with the Opening Ceremony, Sunday, Jan. 7 at 2:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are $15 - $30 are on sale now at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Educators may schedule school group matinees via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

Curious Theatre Branch, currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary Season, announced today that the revival of Hit Me Like a Flower, written and directed by Beau O’Reilly and assistant directed by Chris Zdenek, will now be performed January 12 - February 4, at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. Opening night is Friday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The performance takes place Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with the closing performance Sunday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. The running time is 90 minutes. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $20. For more information about Hit Me Like a Flower visit CuriousTheatreBranch.com. NOTE: Hit Me Like a Flower replaces the previously announced The Rose is Off The Bloom.

It’s 2003: Bush's Iraq War is in full swing and in the small east coast town of Little Chicken Mountain, it's been raining hard for weeks, a bear is on the attack, Jackie's therapy office is in full swing, William has had a stroke and even the skateboarding activists are looking for love.

The cast of Hit Me Like a Flower includes Paul Brennan (he/him), Jayita Bhattacharya (she/her), Steve Lehman (he/him), Shaun Rosten (he/him), Allison Gruber, Mike Amandes (he/him), Kristin Garrison, Hannah Johnston and Beau O'Reilly (he/him). 

The production team includes Beau O’Reilly (he/him), playwright and director; Chris Zdenek (he/him), assistant director and Charlotte Lastra (she/her), technical director. 

ABOUT BEAU O’REILLY, PLAYWRIGHT AND DIRECTOR

Beau O’Reilly is a founding member and co-artistic director of the Curious Theatre Branch and the bands Maestro Subgum and the Whole and The Crooked Mouth, as well as a curator of the Rhinoceros Theater Festival for 30 years. His work has appeared at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Poetry Foundation and on “This American Life.” The author of more than 80 original plays, O’Reilly is also a working actor who teaches playwriting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His latest solo album, “Thrifty,” was released on Uvulittle Records in 2021.

ABOUT CURIOUS THEATRE BRANCH

Curious has been holding up their end of the Chicago theater scene since 1988, creating new works of the imagination, works focused on language and creatively expressing the difficulties of being human. Curious Theatre Branch is dedicated to the creation of new plays and performances and to the production of its annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival. Curious aims to promote innovative works of the imagination in the performing arts from a broad and inclusive spectrum of artists and are also devoted to mentoring programs that engage emerging artists as a way to enrich and expand our artistic community. Curious is committed to creating and producing new plays and performances in a collaborative manner, encouraging our members as artists to share decision making and responsibilities, while expanding their skills as writers, actors, designers, directors and arts administrators. Curious also is committed to the idea that a pay what you can pricing policy is sustainable and will suffice over the long term as an economic model.

Curious Theatre Branch, currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary Season, announced today that the revival of Hit Me Like a Flower, written and directed by Beau O’Reilly and assistant directed by Chris Zdenek, will now be performed January 12 - February 4, at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. Opening night is Friday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m.. The performance takes place Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with the closing performance Sunday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m.The running time is 90 minutes. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $20. For more information about Hit Me Like a Flower visit CuriousTheatreBranch.com. NOTE: Hit Me Like a Flower replaces the previously announced The Rose is Off The Bloom.