GIVEAWAY: WIN 4 Tickets (up to $136 value) to SHORT SHAKESPEARE! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar 

OPENING:

SHORT SHAKESPEARE! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Abridgment brings Shakespeare’s enchanted comedy 

to students and families in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, beginning February 3rd

Running Time: 75-minutes * Family Friendly

ENTER HERE  for your chance to WIN 
4 tickets (up to $136 value) for your choice of 11am or 2pm on Saturday, February 10, 2018 ONLY. 

SHORT SHAKESPEARE! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM 

Enter through midnight Monday, February 5th. Winner will be e-mailed and announced on our site and ChiIL Mama's social media networks.

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we've been fervent fans of Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) for so many decades we've seen them perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream in it's entirety and as a Short Shakespeare 75-minute abridgment, several times over the years. Each production is fresh and new, and this 2018 version is extra exciting, because it's the first Shakespeare play to be performed in their new space, The Yard! Never fear, despite it's name, The Yard is indoors, heated, and awesome. 

Travis Turner as Puck. Photos by Liz Lauren

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream —a 75-minute abridgment of William Shakespeare’s riotous tale of mismatched love among mischievous fairies, young lovers, and an amateur theatrical troupe. Directed and adapted by Jess McLeod and featuring a power-packed ensemble cast, this production will bring the magic to life for more than 1,000 students each day in the innovative, new venue The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare during its six-week run. 

Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed for the public on Saturdays February 3–March 10, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. After each performance, the actors remain on stage for a question-and-answer session before joining the audience in the Lobby for one-on-one conversation and photo opportunities. 

This year, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream will have an extended run in The Yard, allowing thousands of additional students and families to engage with this education program. The Yard will be configured as an intimate thrust stage, with audiences surrounding the stage on three sides and runway aisles for actor entrances and exits. 

Titania (Christiana Clark) beckons Bottom (Adam Wesley Brown), who has been transfigured into an ass, and her Fairy attendants (Hannah Starr and Lane Anthony Flores). Photo by Liz Lauren.

Jess McLeod makes her Chicago Shakespeare debut with Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, although her work has reached thousands of audiences as resident director of Chicago’s Hamilton. In 2016, she was awarded the Michael Maggio Fellowship by Goodman Theatre and has directed at a range of local theatres including Victory Gardens, Haven Theatre, and Steppenwolf’s Next Up! Program. McLeod is also a teaching artist at Storycatcher’s Theatre and a program manager for the annual “Louder Than a Bomb” youth poetry festival.

Adam Wesley Brown as Bottom and Christiana Clark as Titania. 

Photo by Bill Burlingham.

The Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream cast features Adam Wesley Brown (Bottom, through March 18), Ally Carey (Helena), Christiana Clark (Titania/Hippolyta), Richard Costes (Snout/Fairy), Lane Anthony Flores (Flute/Fairy), Sean Fortunato (Oberon/Theseus), Jeremy Peter Johnson (Bottom, beginning March 19), Jarett King (Egeus/Quince), Andrew L. Saenz (Demetrius), Faith Servant (Hermia), Christopher Sheard (Lysander), Drew Shirley (Starveling), Hannah Starr (Snug/Fairy), and Travis Turner (Puck).

Collaborating with Jess McLeod to transform The Yard into an enchanted forest setting is Scenic Designer Lauren Nigri, Costume Designer Izumi Inaba, Lighting Designer Greg Hofmann, Sound Designer Mikhail Fiksel, Wig and Make-up Designer Richard Jarvie, Fight Choreographer Jerry Galante, Verse Coach Kathryn Walsh, and Assistant Director Héctor Alvarez.

Chicago Shakespeare’s Short Shakespeare! Series is rooted in the Theater’s steadfast commitment to young audiences, which has resulted in one in four audience members being age 18 or under. Chicago Shakespeare partners with teachers to extend the experience into the classroom, providing show-specific materials and activities in addition to leading free professional development workshops for teachers.



Public Performance Dates:
Saturday, February 3, 2018 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 10, 2018 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 17, 2018 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 24, 2018 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 3, 2018 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 10, 2018 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

For more information, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/ssmidsummer.

Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., February 3–March 10, 2018. Tickets are on sale now for $22–$34 (subject to change). For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

CST strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons through its Access Shakespeare programs. Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream will have an Audio-Described Performance on Saturday, February 17 at 11:00 a.m. and an Open-captioned and ASL Duo-interpreted Performance on Saturday, February 24 at 11:00 a.m.



ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
A global theatrical force, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for storytelling, musicality of language, and empathy for the human condition. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, Chicago Shakespeare has redefined what a great American Shakespeare theater can be, putting forward a company that delights in the unexpected and defies theatrical category. A Regional Tony Award-winning theater, CST produces acclaimed plays at its home on Navy Pier, throughout Chicago’s schools and neighborhoods, and on stages around the world. In 2017, the Theater unveiled a new stage, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Together with the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, The Yard positions CST as the city’s most versatile performing arts venue.

SHORT SHAKESPEARE! ROMEO AND JULIET at Chicago Shakespeare Theater February 25th - March 25th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces cast and creative team for

SHORT SHAKESPEARE! 

ROMEO AND JULIET

Abridgment brings Shakespeare's classic to life

beginning February 25

ChiIL Mama will be out for the press opening the first Saturday in March so check back soon after for our full review. We've long been fans of the Short Shakespeare! series. My kids have grown up on it. These productions provide an invaluable introduction to Shakespeare at a manageable length for school groups, without compromising the original language or plot. These shows are not dumbed down in any way and appeal to adults as much as school age children and teens. Show times that are open to the public are limited, so book your tickets ASAP. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, a 75-minute abridgment of William Shakespeare’s classic tale of true love found—and tragically lost. Adapted and directed by Marti Lyons and featuring a dynamic ensemble cast, the production speaks to today’s young people about their own lives. In addition to public performances on Saturdays, this production welcomes 1,000 students each day during its five-week run in the Courtyard Theater, followed by an extensive tour to schools across the region through April 28, 2017. Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet will be performed for the public Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., February 25–March 25, 2017.

After each performance, the actors remain on stage for a question-and-answer session, before joining the audience in the Lobby for one-on-one conversations and photo opportunities.

Marti Lyons makes her Chicago Shakespeare directing debut with Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet—but this is certainly not her first experience with the Theater. She credits attending a CST production of Romeo and Juliet while in high school as her first introduction to Shakespeare’s work—and a formative moment in pursuing theater and directing as a career. In addition to serving as a Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre in 2015, Lyons has previously directed at Lookingglass Theatre Company, Haven Theatre, Jackalope Theatre Company and Northlight Theatre. She is also an ensemble member at The Gift Theatre and an artistic associate with Sideshow Theatre.

The Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet cast includes Nate Santana (Romeo), Emma Ladji (Juliet), Karen Janes Woditsch (Nurse–through April 7), Colleen Madden (Nurse–beginning April 10), Tim Decker (Lord Capulet), Brian Grey (Mercutio/Friar John), Elizabeth Laidlaw (Prince/Apothecary), Lily Mojekwu (Lady Capulet–through April 2), Patrese D. McClain (Lady Capulet–beginning April 3), Andrea San Miguel (Benvolio), Sam Pearson(Tybalt), Cage Sebastian Pierre (Balthazar), Andrew Saenz (Paris), Peter Sipla (Peter) and Demetrios Troy (Friar Laurence). With a particular interest in exploring a world where women are positioned as strong leaders and fighters, Lyons has cast the roles of the Prince and Benvolio with women actors.

Joining Lyons on the creative team is Fight Choreographer Matt Hawkins in his 20th CST production. Creating the world of Romeo and Juliet onstage at Chicago Shakespeare and in schools across the region are Scenic Designer Courtney O’Neill, Costume Designer Mieka van der Ploeg, Lighting Designer Greg Hofmann, Sound Designer Misha Fiksel, Wig and Make-up Designer Rick Jarvie and Choreographer Stephanie Paul. Hannah Todd is the production’s Assistant Director, Rinska Carrasco joins as Directing Intern and Kathryn Walsh is Verse Coach.

Chicago Shakespeare’s Short Shakespeare! series is emblematic of the Theater’s commitment to young audiences, which has resulted in one in four audience members being age 18 or under. Whether families attending a summer musical production at Navy Pier or the free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour in neighborhoods across the city, or the 40,000 students and teachers each year who participate in celebrated Team Shakespeare education programs—CST strives to bring a theater-going experience to the next generation.

In addition to five weeks of public performances, the production will host student matinee performances in the Theater’s home and then embark on a five-week tour to urban, suburban and rural schools across the Midwest. With a crew of seven and a 20-foot-long box truck, the production will transform each venue, giving students the experience of a fully realized professional performance. Chicago Shakespeare partners with teachers to extend the experience into the classroom, providing show-specific materials and activities in addition to leading free professional development workshops for teachers.

PERFORMANCE LISTING

Saturday, February 25, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, March 4, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, March 11, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, March 18, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, March 25, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.

For more information, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/ssromeojuliet.

CST strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons through its Access Shakespeareprograms. An Access Shakespeare performance for Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet will take place on Saturday, March 18 at 11:00 a.m. and includes ASL Duo-interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company and the recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to creating extraordinary production of classics, new works and family programming; to unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students; and to serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series. Through a year-round season encompassing more than 650 performances, CST attracts 225,000 audience members annually. One in four of its audience members is under eighteen years old, and today its education programs have impacted the learning of over one million students. CST is proud to take an active role in empowering the next generation of literate, engaged cultural champions and creative minds. During 2016, CST spearheaded the Shakespeare 400 Chicago festival in addition to announcing the creation of an innovative performance venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare.

OPENING: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre debuts Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night While Filter Theatre from the UK Present Twelfth Night Upstairs

Shakespeare would have been amused. Two different versions of the same show are occupying two different floors of the same theatre simultaneously this March!  

I've always had a soft spot for Twelfth Night since I was Viola's understudy back in college. As a mom, I've also been a long time fan of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's "Short Shakespeare" series. These abridged versions are still full on Shakespearian dialect and keep the plot and characters true to the original, while trimming each piece to an action packed, more accessible hour and 15 minutes. We eagerly anticipate the Short Shakespeare shows every season. Highly recommended. Most of these are reserved for school groups so the few public performances sell out fast, so book now.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents A Shakespeare 400 Chicago event Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night Newly abridged work adapted and directed by Kirsten Kelly Public Performances Saturdays at 11am, March 5–April 9, 2016

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) debuts the newly abridged Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night , a 75-minute production of William Shakespeare’s tale of mistaken identity and unexpected love. In the midst of the 2016 celebration of Shakespeare 400 Chicago, this new adaptation by director Kirsten Kelly makes an outstanding introduction to Shakespeare for audiences of all ages. In addition to public performances each Saturday, this production welcomes 1,000 students each day during its four-week run in the Courtyard Theater, followed by an extensive tour to schools across the Midwest through May 6, 2016. Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night will be performed for the public Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.—March 5, 12, 19 & 26 and April 2 & 9, 2016. After each Saturday morning performance, the actors remain on stage for a question-and-answer session, before joining the audience in the Lobby for one-on-one conversations and photo opportunities. CST strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons through its Access Shakespeare programs. An “Access Shakespeare” performance for Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night occurs on Saturday, April 9 at 11:00 a.m. and includes ASL Duo-interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description. When separated from her brother Sebastian in a tragic shipwreck, Viola disguises herself as a man while navigating the unfamiliar land of Illyria. She enters into the service of the handsome Duke Orsino and finds herself caught in the midst of an unrequited love triangle. Misunderstandings and mistaken identities abound in Shakespeare’s romantic comedy. The Short Shakespeare! production of Twelfth Night gives opportunities for families and young audiences to engage with Shakespeare’s play through the text’s use of humor and youthful characters. Music is incorporated throughout the production, as the emotions of the characters are amplified through the diverse sounds of piano, guitar, ukulele, cajon and banjolele. Director and award-winning documentary filmmaker Kirsten Kelly  has been an integral partner of the CST Education team for more than a decade, including co-founding the CPS Shakespeare! program with CST Director of Education Marilyn Halperin ten years ago. The initiative engages Chicago Public Schools students and teachers to create a unique Shakespeare production on the Courtyard stage. Returning with another of her own adaptations of Shakespeare’s canon after 2015’s Short Shakespeare! Macbeth, Kelly approaches Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night  with a diverse audience in mind—making an exciting theatrical encounter for even the newest of Shakespeare fans. The Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night cast includes Rebecca Hurd (Viola), Neal Moeller (Duke Orsino), Nate Santana (Sebastian), Krystel Lucas (Olivia), La Shawn Banks (Malvolio), Lynn Robert Berg (Antonio/Captain), Lydia Berger Gray (Maria), Ronald Conner (Sir Toby Belch), Dominic Conti (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Donovan Diaz (Fabian), Will Mobley (Feste), Colin Morgan (Valentine) and Nik Kmiecik (Curio). The creative team features Scenic Designer Scott Davis, Costume Designer  Rachel Healy, Lighting Designer Greg Hofmann, Composer and Sound Designer Ethan Deppe and CST’s Resident Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal. With public performances on Saturday, CST’s Short Shakespeare! series is an essential component of the Theater’s celebrated Team Shakespeare  education program. In addition to six weeks of public performances, the production will host student performances in the Theater’s home on Navy Pier and then embark on a four-week tour to urban, suburban and rural schools across the Midwest. With a crew of eight and a 20-foot-long box truck, the production will transform each venue, giving students the experience of a fully realized professional performance. Chicago Shakespeare partners with teachers to extend the experience into the classroom, providing show-specific materials and activities in addition to leading free professional development workshops for teachers. These resources ensure teachers are well-equipped to effectively connect the words and works of the playwright to their students. As the world commemorates the 400 years since Shakespeare’s death in 1616, Shakespeare 400 Chicago  brings together the city’s resident world-class institutions across disciplines, and welcomes leading artists from around the globe to make Chicago their stage. Spearheaded by Chicago Shakespeare Theater, this yearlong international arts festival will engage more than 500,000 Chicagoans and visitors in events spanning theater, opera, music, dance, cuisine, exhibitions, workshops and discussion series—including opportunities for students and teachers like Short Shakespeare! Twelfth Night. Programs like this ensure that Shakespeare 400 Chicago is not only occurring in institutions and theaters downtown, but also in schools across the region. PERFORMANCE LISTING Saturday, March 5, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 12, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 19, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 26, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 2, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 9, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. Tickets: $22–$34 www.chicagoshakes.com • 312.595.5600 For more information, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/sstwelfth. About Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a global theatrical force, known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for storytelling, language and empathy for the human condition. Throughout 2016, CST is spearheading the international arts and culture festival, Shakespeare 400 Chicago, a citywide celebration of the playwright's 400-year legacy. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to creating extraordinary production of classics, new works and family programming; to unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students; and to serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series. CST serves as a partner in literacy to Chicago Public Schools, working alongside English teachers to help struggling readers connect with Shakespeare in the classroom, and bringing his text to life on stage for 40,000 students every year. And each summer, 30,000 families and audience members of all ages welcome the free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks tour into their neighborhoods across the far north, west and south sides of the city. Reflecting the global city it calls home, CST is the leading producer of international work in Chicago, and has toured its plays abroad to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada/North America and the Middle East. CST is proud to take an active role in empowering the next generation of literate, engaged cultural champions and creative minds. The Theater’s tradition of excellence and civic leadership has been honored with numerous national and international awards, including the Regional Theatre Tony Award, three Laurence Olivier Awards, and eighty total Joseph Jefferson Awards. CST’s work with Chicago Public School students and teachers was recognized by the White House in 2014 with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. Among its many international engagements, CST participated in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2006 Complete Works Festival and was selected to represent North America at the Globe to Globe festival as part of London’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

You can also catch another version of Twelfth Night at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre this March, with actors from the UK, born with British accents! 

"Rock and roll Shakespeare... blessed with wit, style and a sense of magic"

The Daily Telegraph (UK)

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THE PLAY

Two worlds collide in Filter Theatre’s explosive take on Shakespeare’s lyrical Twelfth Night, originally commissioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works Festival in 2006. This story of romance, satire and mistaken identity combines dynamic narrative drive with a torrent of sound and music. Olivia’s melancholic, puritanical household clashes head on with Sir Toby’s insatiable appetite for drunken debauchery. Orsino’s relentless pursuit of Olivia and Malvolio’s extraordinary transformation typify the madness of love in Illyria: land of make-believe and illusion. Experience the madness of love in this heady world where riotous gig meets Shakespeare. 

- Click HERE to see more