Displaying items by tag: CUT TO THE CHASE festival

The Artistic Home Studio will present the 2025 edition of its annual CUT TO THE CHASE festival of new one act plays, from May 1-4, 2025, in the Upstairs Mainstage at the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Six plays by six different authors and helmed by six directors will approach questions of perception and reality under the theme "What is Real?" Now in its 22^nd year, the festival has become a Chicago fan favorite, premiering new work from Chicago playwrights as well as well-known talent from across the country.
 
The show runs as one program running approximately 90 minutes in total, with the six plays performed back-to-back, Five of the plays are world premieres and one is a Chicago premiere. The plays are by Nina Dellaria, Jillian Blevins, Siah Berlatsky, Will Dunne, Greg A. Smith, and Chelyn Cousar. They will be directed by Jenna Steege Ramey, Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, Jared Shelton, Jacob Watson, Risha Tenae, and JJ Gatesman.

The casts are Lynne Baker and Daphne Beckett, Whitney Minarik and David Stobbe, Kendal Romero and Olivia Gregorich, Jared Goudsmit and Dakota Pariset, John Dooley, Ernest Henton, and Jordyn Birden; and Rebecca Zissok and John Wehrman.
 
Tickets for CUT TO THE CHASE 2025 are $22 and are on sale now through The Den Theatre Box Office www.thedentheatre.com.
 
The Artistic Home performs at The Den Theatre and also maintains an acting studio and rehearsal space at 3054 N. Milwaukee Avenue in the Avondale/Logan neighborhood.
 
CUT TO THE CHASE 2025 PLAYS
"Little Women"
by Nina Dellaria
A World Premiere 
Directed by Jenna Steege Ramey
Featuring Lynne Baker and Daphne Beckett
Assistant Director: Annie Hogan
 
"Postpartum"
by Jillian Blevins
A World Premiere
Directed by Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary 
Featuring Whitney Minarik and David Stobbe
With sound composition by Joseph Buechel
 
"The Princess and the Pirate"
by Will Dunne
A World Premiere
Directed by Jared Sheldon
Featuring Kendal Romero and Olivia Gregorich
 
"Psychoanalysis!"
By Siah Berlatsky
A World Premiere
Directed by Jacob Watson
Featuring Jared Goudsmit and Dakota Pariset
 
"Schrödinger's Gun"
by Greg A. Smith
A Chicago Premiere
Directed by Risha Tenae
Featuring John Dooley, Ernest Henton, and Jordyn Birden
 
"Your Host"
by Chelyn Cousar
A World Premiere
Directed by JJ Gatesman
Featuring Rebecca Zissok and John Wehrman

LISTING INFORMATION
 
CUT TO THE CHASE 2025
One-act plays by Nina Dellaria, Jillian Blevins, Siah Berlatsky, Will Dunne, Greg A. Smith, and Chelyn Cousar.
Directed by Jenna Steege Ramey, Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary, Jared Shelton, Jacob Watson, Risha Tenae, and JJ Gatesman.
May 1-4, 2025
Thursday and Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm,  and Sunday at 3:00 pm.
The Den Theatre, Upstairs Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago
All seats $22.00
Tickets available now at https://thedentheatre.com/performances/2025/5/1/cut-to-the-chase-the-den-theatre-comedy-club, or by phone at 773-697-3830
More information at www.theartistichome.org
 
A staple of Chicago theater for over two decades, CUT TO THE CHASE presents six new plays as one fun night of theater. This year's show holds the theme: "what is real?" Come see how six playwrights approach questions of perception and reality. With a cast of 13, this year's CUT TO THE CHASE is a perfect taste of dynamic theater in an intimate space.
 
The show runs as one program, with the six plays back-to-back, running approximately 90 minutes. Five are world premieres and one is a Chicago premiere.
 
ABOUT THE ARTISTIC HOME
 
The Artistic Home is noted for their innovative and intimate presentations of rarely produced classics as well for developing new works. During the 2024-25 season, they produced BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK by Lynn Nottage and Ibsen's HEDDA GABLER, in a new translation/adaptation by Mark O'Rowe. The company has been frequently honored in the Jeff Awards. In the most recent awards, recognizing productions that opened in 2024, they earned two nominations for BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK.  For 2023, they received nine nominations for WITCH and DYING FOR IT, including a nomination for Production of a Play (DYING FOR IT) and a win for Kevin Hagan's scenic design of DYING FOR IT. In 2022, they received nine nominations and two wins – one for New Work (MALAPERT LOVE, written by ensemble member Siah Berlatsky) and one for Supporting Actor in a play (Todd Wojcik – in THE PAVILION). The company's 2022 nominations also included two for Best Play production (MALAPERT LOVE and THE PAVILION). The Artistic Home was one of the big winners in the 2019 Jeff Awards, with four awards including Production of a Play, Director of a Play, Principal Performer in a Play, and Sound Design, all for REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT. Brookelyn Hebert won a Jeff as Principal Performer in a Play for the company's 2020 production of ADA AND THE ENGINE. The company was nominated for Jeff Awards in 2019 for ROCK 'N' ROLL, and in 2018 for HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE.
 
Other memorable productions of recent years include 2017's WEDDING BAND, BY THE BOG OF CATS and THE SCHOOL FOR LIES; their Jeff-nominated productions of THE SEAGULL, WATCH ON THE RHINE, MACBETH and THE LATE HENRY MOSS; and their 2013 Jeff Award-winner THE GODDESS. Other Artistic Home productions include the Jeff-Award-winning production of JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, which also received three After Dark Awards, the Jeff-Nominated SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, THE TALLEST MAN, LANDSCAPE OF THE BODY, NATURAL AFFECTION, FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS, AFTER THE FALL and PEER GYNT (which also received an After Dark award for Direction).
 
For more than 26 years, The Artistic Home has consistently produced compelling theatre in Chicago. First formed in 1998 with the belief that the actor is at the heart of great theater, the company strives to give birth to unforgettable moments; to touch audiences who are increasingly distanced from human contact; to readdress the classics and explore new works with passion.