18th Season Announced: Barrel of Monkeys' THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA 2018-19 Season

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Barrel of Monkeys Announces

THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA 2018-19 Season

An Original Sketch Show Written by Kids, 

Performed by Grownups, and Enjoyed by Humans

BOM's THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA has been a fav of ours here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows for decades. Check it out! They incorporate the best of kids' unabashed creativity in writing scenes and give them a pro twist, with staging by adult actors. The combination is a high energy concoction of crazy fun and often snort out loud funny. They run some Sundays at 3pm and Mondays at 8pm, when most theatres are dark, so other actors can enjoy a lighthearted night out. Yet the show is short and early enough that older kids and teens should have no problem catching the show and still making it home in time for a school night curfew. Best of all, Barrel of Monkeys is excited to be an inaugural Teen Arts Pass (TAP) partner. 

TAP is a new initiative by Urban Gateways that gives young people ages 13-19 access to $5 tickets to see professional dance, music, and theater performances in and around Chicago. Learn more about the program and sign up here: http://teenartspass.urbangateways.org/

Barrel of Monkeys is thrilled to announce the 2018-19 season of its lauded original sketch show THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA, performing at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. For tickets and additional information, visit  barrelofmonkeys.org. 



Now in its eighteenth year, THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA features adaptations of stories written during Barrel of Monkeys’ creative writing residencies in Chicago elementary schools. BOM teaching artists guide 3rd through 5th graders through a six-week curriculum that uses theater to bring out the storyteller in every child. Afterward, BOM’s ensemble of professional actors, comedians and musicians bring the young authors’ stories to life as raucous sketches, songs and movement pieces, performing first for students in their schools and then for the public. 

The stories resonate with adults while celebrating the imaginations of young people. Rotating themes highlight the diversity of stories BOM students concoct, from hilarious dialogues between unlikely characters to poignant pleas for social change. Every week brings a new line-up of stories, and BOM invites audiences to vote on their favorites at each performance.



Comments Barrel of Monkeys’ Executive Director Corinne Neal, “We’re thrilled to be incorporating more weekend and evening performances this season, to better serve the adult sketch-comedy crowd in addition to our loyal audience of local families and adventurous theatre-goers. This show is truly for anyone with an inner child.”





THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA’s 2018-19 season includes:

October 7 – November 4, 2018
THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Ghost, Ghouls, and Talking Potatoes
Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd
Sundays at 3 pm
Tickets: $5 – $20. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at barrelofmonkeys.org.

Just in time for Halloween, gather ye ‘round for a line-up of scary (and silly) stories featuring creepy twins that appear in photos, talking potatoes getting lost in the woods, Malcolm X fighting zombies and other spooky scenarios imagined by Chicago elementary school students.

December 10 – December 22, 2018
THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA Rings in the Holidays
Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd
Mondays at 8 pm + weekend performances
Tickets: $5 – $25

Barrel of Monkeys’ beloved holiday special returns with a mix of classic stories from the That’s Weird, Grandma repertoire alongside brand new sketches and songs. Make That’s Weird, Grandma your family’s newest holiday tradition!

January 20 – February 17, 2019
THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Star-Studded Stories
Directed by Mary Tilden
Sundays at 3 pm
Tickets: $5 – $20 

Witness pop culture legends live onstage – or at least pop culture legends as 3rd – 5th graders imagine them! BOM performers portray stars past, present and fictional through outrageous dialogues and choreographed musical numbers.

May 3 – May 25, 2019
THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Stories That Sing and Dance
Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $5 – $20 

Back by popular demand, BOM’s all-musical line-up returns with a mix of new and classic song-and-dance numbers performed to live accompaniment by the talented musicians of Barrel of Monkeys. Now performing in prime-time for the first time ever!

June 24 – August 12, 2019
THAT’S WEIRD GRANDMA: Fantastic Beasts and the Stories About Them
Co-Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd and Bradford Stevens
Mondays at 8 pm
Tickets: $5 - $20

Meet the strange and wonderful creatures created by Barrel of Monkeys students, from talking animals to intergalactic lifeforms. BOM performers bring these beings to life through song, dance, and ridiculous costumes.



About the Artistic Director
Brandon Cloyd joined Barrel of Monkeys in 2007 and has been deeply involved in many facets of the company ever since. Prior to joining BOM, Brandon graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Business Institutions. Within BOM, Brandon has served as an actor, teaching artist, lead teacher, a member of Teacher Corps, as well as directing shows for schools and public performances of That's Weird, Grandma. Before becoming the company’s Artistic Director in September 2017, Brandon served as BOM After-School Program Coordinator at Loyola Park from 2014-2016 and Program Director from 2016-2017. Outside of Barrel of Monkeys, he worked as the Associate Director of Camp Echo, where he has spent 13 summers managing campers and staff at a co-ed sleep away camp in Upstate New York. Brandon has worked with other theatre companies including Urban Theatre Company, American Theater Company, Filament Theatre, InGen Productions, ACLE's Teatrino in Italy and Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University.

About Barrel of Monkeys
Since Barrel of Monkeys’ inception in 1997, its teaching artists have served more than 60 Chicago Public Schools. Over 15,000 elementary school students have participated in the Barrel of Monkeys programs, which aim to build students' writing skills, improve self-esteem, and instill confidence in their ideas and abilities.

Barrel of Monkeys is sponsored in part by Wintrust Financial, Allscripts, Inc., Ernst and Young and Punchkick Interactive. It receives generous support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the National Endowment for the Arts; a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; the Chicago Community Trust; Crown Family Philanthropies; Alphawood Foundation of Chicago; the Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation; Polk Bros Foundation; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; the Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.; The Saints; The Topfer Family Foundation, and many other generous individuals and foundations. 

OPENING: THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Brand New Stories Via Barrel of Monkeys from June 18 – July 16, 2018

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List: Family Friendly Theatre Fun

Barrel of Monkeys Presents

THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Brand New Stories

Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd

June 18 – July 16, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater

Mad love and belly laughs to one of our long running favorites, Barrel of Monkeys' THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA. They've been a Chicago Monday night staple since 1997, with ever changing stories penned by Chicago school kids and brought to life on stage in gut busting glory by professional actors. The 8pm Monday time slot is for other actors, most of whom have an off night after working all weekend. The best thing about BOM's summer run is, you can bring the kids! 

Barrel of Monkeys proudly presents THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Brand New Stories, a line-up of all new stories written by Chicago elementary school students during the 2017-18 school year. Be among the first to experience the newest songs, sketches and dance pieces adapted from stories written by students in Barrel of Monkeys’ creative writing workshops. Directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Brand New Stories will play Mondays at 8 pm from June 18 – July 16, 2018 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140. 

Clever and funny – touching and poignant – the collection of stories featured in THAT’S WEIRD, GRANDMA is equally entertaining for adults and children. The line-up of the long-running, critically-acclaimed revue changes each week by audience vote, so no two shows are ever the same. 

Barrel of Monkeys, a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble now in its 21st season, conducts creative writing workshops with 2nd through 7th grade students in underserved Chicago elementary schools and in its own after-school program. The ensemble of actor-educators then turns their stories and poems into professionally performed theater, presented both in-school and for the general public through its revues. Barrel of Monkeys annually performs more than 300 stories for the students in their schools and 175 stories on the stage for the general public.
  
Location: Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago
Dates: June 18 – July 16, 2018
Curtain Times: Mondays at 8 pm 

Tickets: $15 for adults; $5 for children 12 and under. Discounts: $10 for students with ID, seniors, veterans and groups of 10 or more people. $5 for Teen Arts Pass (TAP) members. Tickets are available at www.barrelofmonkeys.org or by calling (773) 506-7140.

About the Director
Brandon Cloyd joined Barrel of Monkeys in 2007 and has been deeply involved in many facets of the company ever since. Prior to joining BOM, Brandon graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a minor in Business Institutions. Within BOM, Brandon has served as an actor, teaching artist, lead teacher, a member of Teacher Corps, as well as a director for schools and public performances of That's Weird, Grandma. Before becoming the company’s Artistic Director in September 2017, Brandon served as BOM After-School Program Coordinator at Loyola Park from 2014-2016 and Program Director from 2016-2017. Outside of Barrel of Monkeys, he worked as the Associate Director of Camp Echo, where he has spent 13 summers managing campers and staff at a co-ed sleep away camp in Upstate New York. Brandon has worked with other theatre companies including Urban Theatre Company, American Theater Company, Filament Theatre, Ingen Productions, ACLE's Teatrino in Italy and Purple Crayon Players at Northwestern University.

About Barrel of Monkeys
Since Barrel of Monkeys’ inception in 1997, its teaching artists have served more than 60 Chicago Public Schools. Over 15,000 elementary school students have participated in the Barrel of Monkeys programs, which aim to build students' writing skills, improve self-esteem, and instill confidence in their ideas and abilities.

Barrel of Monkeys is sponsored in part by Wintrust Financial, Allscripts, Inc., Ernst and Young and Punchkick Interactive. It receives generous support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the National Endowment for the Arts; a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; the Chicago Community Trust; Crown Family Philanthropies; Alphawood Foundation of Chicago; the Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation; Polk Bros Foundation; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; the Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.; The Saints; The Topfer Family Foundation, and many other generous individuals and foundations. 

SAVE THE DATES: Adventure Stage Chicago “Hungers” for deeper connections with its 15th season

15th season of programming for young audiences to explore the challenges of “hunger,” both literal and metaphorical 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've been enthusiastic fans of Adventure Stage Chicago for years. We're particularly excited for their upcoming season, since they're partnering up with some of our favorite people and companies. Adrian Danzig is a force of nature on stage and off, and we're jazzed to see him in the director's seat for The Adventures of Robin Hood by Scottish playwright, Oliver Emanuel, this fall. We're also huge fans of Chicago's Rough House Theater, who will be bringing their puppet prowess to The Stranger and the Shadow. Their Ubu the King was so impressive I bought one of their tank tops. We're also excited for Chicago pros, Andrew Marikis and Daryl Brooks teaming up on Fast Food Chain. We've caught much of their prior work all over the city in past years and we're thrilled they're working with ASC.

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), the participatory arts program of Northwestern Settlement (the Settlement), announces its 15th season of programming for young audiences, exploring the challenges of “hunger,” both literal and metaphorical, as the company applies its mission of telling heroic stories to the Settlement objective of disrupting generational poverty. The season will also be dedicated to Belna Reyes, the longtime Director of the Food Pantry and Support Services, who passed away this past year, as well as the Settlement’s commitment to providing assistance via the food pantry. ASC’s “Hunger” season features Oliver Emanuel’s adaptation of The Adventures of Robin Hood, Fast Food by Andrew Marikis created in collaboration with community partners; and The Stranger and the Shadow, based on the Golem of Prague and co- presented with Rough House Theater as part of the Chicago International Puppet Theatre Festival. 

All performances take place at Northwestern Settlement’s Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St. Tickets are $17 for adults and $12 for youth aged 14 years and younger. Group tickets are $10 for ten or more guests. Student matinee tickets are $7 for CPS and $8 for non-CPS groups. Tickets may be purchased at adventurestage.org or by calling 773.342.4141.

ASC believes in the power of the arts to promote change. Producing Artistic Director Tom Arvetis recently spoke about ASC’s commitment to serving the community: “Exactly how does a theatre participate in the effort to disrupt poverty? ASC embraces this question to serve the critical mission of our larger social service organization. We used it to guide our programming choices during the 2017-2018 season dedicated to literacy, and we return to it again as we announce our 2018-2019 season dedicated to hunger. The challenges of poverty are often layered and always complex. By isolating the markers of poverty (such as access to a quality education or access to nutritious food) and exploring them through a thematic lens, we become the civic space where these issues can be explored respectfully and with hope across generations.”

As a participatory arts company, ASC feature multiple options for audience engagement. Each production is presented with Spanish subtitles. Additionally, we frame each performance with a Curtain Conversation, asking audiences to keep a question in mind as they watch the play and return to it after the show; our lobby transforms into an interactive installation; and Learning Guides with show context and arts-integrated activities are available for teachers and parents.



The Adventures of Robin Hood
October 20 – November 24, 2018 By Oliver Emanuel
Directed by Adrian Danzig
A corrupt sheriff plagues the commoners of Nottingham. His skyrocketing taxes are preventing the needy from being able to feed themselves! Who will stand up to the injustices and bring hope back to the people? Follow Robin Hood and his Merry Men as they take you on a journey of action, danger, and of course, archery. This medieval legend with a modern twist places a cast of two at the center of the story, reimagining the tale with enthusiasm, tenacity, and vigor.

About the Creative Team
Oliver Emanuel is a playwright based in Scotland. He was born in Kent, England, and studied at Leeds University and the University of East Anglia before settling in Glasgow in 2006. He has written for most of the major theatre companies in Scotland and his work has been seen across the UK, Ireland, Europe, Canada, USA and China. He also writes extensively for BBC radio. Oliver’s play Dragon won Best Show for Children and Young People at the UK Theatre Awards 2014.

Adrian Danzig has been in shows at The Goodman, The Second City, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Steppenwolf Studio, Berkeley Rep, Brooklyn Academy of Music and The Public Theater, and with Shakespeare & Company and Lookingglass. He has worked with Mary Zimmerman, Les Waters, Joanne Akalaitis, Tina Landau and Anne Bogart. He has performed his solo works at The Kitchen, P.S. 122, The Ontological Hysteric Theater and Soho Rep. He was an early Neo-futurist and a founding member of Redmoon Theater, Hubinspoke Theater and 500 Clown. He graduated from NYC’s High School of Performing Arts, received his BA from Oberlin College and his MFA from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago. He has studied clown with Ctibor Turba, Philippe Gaulier, Ronlin Foreman, Dominique Jando, Els Comediants, David Shiner and Avner the Eccentric. Adrian worked with The Big Apple Circus at its inception and also for seven years as a clown in Clown Care. Adrian has been the producing artistic director of 500 Clown since it began.



The Stranger and the Shadow
January 26 – February 16, 2019 Co-presented with Rough House Theater
An outsider enters a community that is guarded by a shadowy breathing barrier which feeds on the fear of its citizens. Rejected for her differences, she teams up with local misfits to bring to life a new creature powerful enough to fight the monstrous entity. The play uses human actors and life-size puppets to physicalize social forces, drawing inspiration from youth activists who seek to alter cultures of intolerance through empathy and inclusivity.

About Rough House Theater
Rough House connects individuals and communities through art that celebrates the weird things that make us unique, and the weirder things that bring us together. They create theater that captures the heart through the eye. Their shows use puppetry, music, and human performance to tell stories that are intimate, strange, and sincere.

Rough House has headlined the National Puppetry Festival, the international Physical Festival Chicago, and Open Eye Figure Theater’s Toy Theater After Dark Festival. The company has been a proud contributor to such Chicago institutions as Brain Frame and the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, of which it is a curatorial producing partner. Rough House has toured across the United States, performing in all variety of locations.



Fast Food Chain
April 27 – May 18, 2019 By Andrew Marikis Directed by Daryl Brooks
Fast Food Chain follows a brother and sister as they wrestle with the pressure of poverty and food insecurity in Chicago. They struggle to make it on their own until one day they discover a garden in the unlikeliest of places. It’s an adventure into the magical realism of African folktale, showcasing the power of community and storytelling in combating social issues.

About the Creative Team
Andrew Marikis is a writer, storyteller, and actor. He's worked with Seanachai, Lifeline, Boho, Sideshow, Adventure Stage, and many other theatres. He loves hearing a story that's totally true, and way too crazy to be true; and he harbors a not-so-secret obsession with dinosaurs. For more about him, check out www.andrewmarikis.com.

Daryl Brooks is happy to be back at Adventure Stage after directing 2017’s Akeelah and the Bee. He recently directed the award-winning hit The Black Pearl: The Story of Josephine Baker at The Black Ensemble Theater. His other credits include Men of Soul, I Am Who I Am: The Story of Teddy Pendergrass, and The Marvin Gaye Story.




About Northwestern Settlement and Adventure Stage Chicago:
Northwestern Settlement nurtures, educates and inspires children and families across Chicago. The Settlement’s success results from a commitment to treating every person who enters its doors with dignity and respect, while supporting them with transformational programming designed to disrupt generational poverty. The Settlement has led the way in innovative programming by offering residential science and environmental education for inner-city youth, launching successful charter schools, and adding a theater so children and teens have a forum for expressing their life experiences.

The Settlement’s Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) is one of the only theaters in Chicago to develop and present works specifically for pre-teen and teenage audience. ASC also offers: Neighborhood Bridges, the in-classroom arts residency program; Trailblazers, a youth mentoring arts program; summer drama camps; and drama instruction in the Settlement’s Rowe Elementary School.
Adventure Stage Chicago is a member of The League of Chicago Theatres, The National Guild for Community Arts Education, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and TYA/USA.




Help Out:
Join ASC “fore” a night of food, fun, and mini golf! Our latest fundraiser gives you the chance to show-off your short game with a mini golf challenge to win fabulous prizes. Festivities run from 6pm – 9pm at Diversey Range & Mini Golf with all proceeds going to the Trailblazers, Adventure Stage’s free mentoring program for Chicago youth. Food and drink is included with each ticket.

Individual tickets are $50 or $180 for a team of four. Dust off that Masters Jacket and reserve your tickets today!

Event Sponsorships available

In the event of inclement weather (rain, thunderstorms) and the course is closed, the Putt Putt tourney will be cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Team registrants will be notified by email no later than 4pm on June 4. Your registration fee will be non-refundable, but you will receive a tax-deduction acknowledgement for the amount allowed by law. Thank you for supporting the Trailblazers!


Can’t make the event but still want to donate? Click Here!

www.northwesternsettlement.org 
www.adventurestage.org

OPENING: World Premiere of The Burn Via Steppenwolf for Young Adults Through 3/10/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Steppenwolf for Young Adults Presents the World Premiere of

The Burn

Written by Philip Dawkins Directed by Devon de Mayo Now Playing Through March 10, 2018

First-Ever Inaugural Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly Performance for Teens – March 10 at 3pm

The Burn will Tour to Juvenile Justice Facilities in Partnership with Storycatchers Theatre Following the Run

Mercedes is an outsider. Tara makes sure she knows it. When a high school production of The Crucible forces them together, tensions escalate into acts of bullying—both online and IRL. This world premiere play explores what happens to a teacher and his students when a classroom conflict turns into an online witch-hunt.

Here at ChiIL Mama, we're quite excited for SYA's latest. As a mom of two teens currently in high school, the subject of bullying, particularly via social media is timely and topical. I'll be out for the press opening with my 16 year old son on February 17th, and I'm elated that my 14 year old daughter has the opportunity to not only come with her theatre class from Taft IB High School, but to read and study the script in school as well! She also had the chance to come to SYA's excellent production The Crucible with her school, so this will be an apropos production to follow. Chicago school kids are so lucky to have world class theatre opportunities at their doorstep and I'm grateful as a parent that our professional theatre community cares about nurturing the next generation. The public is welcome to book tickets for Friday and Saturday performances. Check back soon for my full review of The Burn. 

Public performances for The Burn are Saturday, February 17 at 3pm and 7:30pm; Friday, February 23 at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 24 at 3pm and 7:30pm; Friday, March 2 at 7:30pm; and Saturday, March 3 at 3pm and 7:30pm in the Upstairs Theatre. 

Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) is proud to produce the world premiere of The Burn, written by acclaimed Chicago playwright Philip Dawkins and directed by Devon de Mayo. Featuring a cast of professional actors, The Burn addresses the bullying and social media issues that many teens experience in school. 

photo by Michael Brosilow

    

  Public performances ($20) take place on Feb 17 at 3pm & 7:30pm; Feb 23 at 7:30pm; Feb 24 at 3pm & 7:30pm; March 2 at 7:30pm; March 3 at 3pm & 7:30pm. 

Weekday performances are reserved for school groups only. Tickets to public performances ($20; $15 with student I.D.) are available through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org.



Philip Dawkins is a Chicago playwright and educator. His play Charm, recently received its NY premiere at MCC in Fall 2017. His plays include The Happiest Place on Earth (Side Show Theatre/Greenhouse Theater Center); Le Switch (About Face Theatre, The Jungle), Charm (Northlight Theatre), Miss Marx: Or The Involuntary Side Effect of Living (Strawdog Theatre), The Homosexuals (About Face Theater) and the musical adaptation of Dr.Seuss’s The Sneetches with composer David Mallamud (Children’s Theater Company, Minneapolis). He teaches playwriting at Northwest University, Loyola University Chicago and through the Victory Gardens ACCESS Program.

On March 10 at 3pm, Steppenwolf will offer its first-ever Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly Performance for The Burn. This performance is designed to be accessible for guests (and their companions!) who may include, but are not limited to, individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as those with sensory processing and/or integration sensitivities.

Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly Performance – March 10 at 3pm
Steppenwolf presents its inaugural Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly performance on Saturday, March 10 at 3pm for The Burn. Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly performances feature a more relaxed environment and minor adjustments to sensory effects such as lighting and sound cues.

Tickets for the Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly performance go on sale on Friday, February14. For more information, please email access@steppenwolf.org.
This performance is designed to be accessible for guests (and their companions!) who may include (but are not limited to) individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as those with sensory processing and/or integration sensitivities.

SYA is partnering with the Storycatchers Theatre again this year to tour The Burn to three Juvenile Justice Facilities in Illinois. More details in the enclosed release.

About the Tour to Juvenile Justice Facilities
Following its four-week run at Steppenwolf and working in collaboration with Storycatchers Theatre, Steppenwolf for Young Adults will tour its production of The Burn for a week to three Juvenile Justice Facilities in Illinois. Storycatchers Theatre, winner of the 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, guides young people to transform their traumatic experiences into powerful musical theatre, developing the courage and vision to become leaders and mentors. By creating support for youth within the criminal justice system, Storycatchers prepares them to change their lives and emerge successfully from court involvement.

Building on the success of last year’s collaboration with Storycatchers, during which Steppenwolf for Young Adults brought its production of Monster to three Juvenile Justice Facilities in Illinois, this tour will provide detained and incarcerated youth a chance to see the production and share their stories with professional artists involved with the play.

Playwright Philip Dawkins shares, “Working with Steppenwolf for Young Adults in partnership with Storycatchers is a true privilege for me. I've been a fan of both groups for quite some time, and I'm so lucky to be working with such excellent, quality-minded leaders in putting young people's stories on stage.”

Special Post-Show Storycatchers Performance
In addition to the tour, Steppenwolf will host Storycatchers youth on the Steppenwolf stage in an original performance created in response to SYA’s production of The Burn, and featuring these incredible young people and their stories. This performance will take place immediately following the February 24 matinee performance. Audience members are welcome to stay for this performance.

About the Cast & Creative Team
The Burn production team includes Courtney O’Neill (scenic design), Melissa Ng (costume design), Heather Sparling (lighting design), Sarah Ramos (sound design) and Rasean Davonte Johnson (projection design). Other credits include Hallie Gordon (artistic producer), JC Clementz (casting director) and Brian Maschka (stage manager). Hallie Gordon is the Artistic Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults.

The Burn cast features Birgundi Baker (Tara), Nina Ganet (Andi), Phoebe González (Mercedes), Erik Hellman (Erik) and Dyllan Rodrigues-Miller (Shauna).

Accessibility
Committed to making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each play. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance, and the Downstairs and 1700 Theatres are each equipped with an induction hearing loop. All theaters feature wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, and Front Bar features a push-button entrance, all-gender restrooms and accessible counter and table spaces.

Visitor Information
Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N Halsted St near all forms of public transportation, bike racks and Divvy bike stands. The parking facility ($12 or $14, cash or card) is located just south of our theater at 1624 N Halsted. Valet parking service ($14 cash) is available directly in front of the main entrance at 1650 N Halsted St starting at 5pm on weeknights, 1pm on weekends and at 12
noon before Wednesday matinees. Limited street and lot parking are also available. For last minute questions and concerns, patrons can call the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline at 312.335.1774.

Sponsor Info
Steppenwolf for Young Adults is provided by Allstate Insurance Company, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation and United Airlines. Steppenwolf for Young Adults is also supported in part by contributions from The Crown Family, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Northern Trust Company, Field Foundation of Illinois, Dr. Scholl Foundation, the Helen Brach Foundation, ITW Foundation, Siragusa Foundation, Colonel Stanley R. McNeil Foundation, Citi Private Bank and Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc; as well as Steppenwolf Associates, a community of dynamic young professionals. Steppenwolf Education is a citywide partner of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) School Partner Program.

Steppenwolf Education’s unique approach combines play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families. Every season Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) creates two full-scale professional productions specifically for teens. Working closely with the Chicago Public and metropolitan area schools and other community partners, Steppenwolf’s Education department annually ensures access to the theater for more than 15,000 participants from Chicago’s diverse communities. The initiative also includes post-show discussions with artists; classroom residencies led by Steppenwolf-trained teaching artists in almost 100 classrooms in public high schools; professional development workshops for educators; and the Young Adult Council, an innovative year-round after-school initiative that uniquely engages high school students in all areas of the theater’s operations, as well as other teen and community based programs.


Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 49 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights. 

Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the esteemed School at Steppenwolf; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. 

While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

OPENING: How We Got On Kicks Off Haven's Season As First Show In The Den’s New Bookspan Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

HAVEN THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE CHICAGO PREMIERE 

HOW WE GOT ON

WRITTEN BY IDRIS GOODWIN AND DIRECTED BY JESS MCLEOD, AT THE DEN THEATRE, SEPTEMBER 29 – NOVEMBER 12

The Chicago Premiere is the Inaugural Production within the Den Theatre’s New 99-Seat Bookspan Theatre Where Haven Theatre Company Serves as the Head Resident Company 

Attached image by Joe Mazza/Brava Lux inc

ChiIL Mama will be there for the press opening this Sunday, so check back soon for our full review. We're excited to see The Den Theatre's new space and check out Haven Theatre Company's latest production. Idris Goodwin's How We Got On will begin their fourth season, directed by Jess McLeod, at the company’s new home within the Den Theatre’s new Bookspan Theatre, 1335 Milwaukee Ave., September 29 – November 12. 

Previews are Thursday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, Oct.1 at 8 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Regular run tickets are $32, senior tickets are $20 and college/industry tickets are $15 (preview tickets are $12). You may purchase tickets and get more information at www.haventheatrechicago.com.

NOTE: In partnership with Young Chicago Authors, Haven Theatre is pledging six free tickets to high school students for each performance. At showtime, the offer will extend: all unsold seats will go to high school students, free of charge. Students must present a High School Student ID or an alternative proof of enrollment to the box office to redeem. Haven is committed to offering a sanctuary for budding artists and the Chicago community, providing greater access to art for young audiences.  With the support of YCA, How We Got On will be a step in that effort.

In this remixed coming-of-age story, an all-knowing DJ loops the audience through the tracks of three Midwestern teen rappers stranded in suburbia. Determined to find their artistic voices; Hank, Julian and Luann are forced to combat the discord of crude technology, family dysfunction and ruthless rivalries as this B-side of 1980’s hip-hop history is spun. Plug in an open mind for the Chicago premiere of a throwback mix tape that goes to prove: we’re all just a work-in-progress.

It is with great pride Haven Theatre Company gets to produce this work, as well as future productions, in the Den Theatre’s new Bookspan Theatre as the resident company. Haven Theatre Company’s Founder and Executive Director Carol Cohen said, “We have always wanted a space to call our own, but the cost, not to mention the responsibilities and logistics that entails, was just too much.” She continued, “When The Den Theatre’s Artistic Director Ryan Martin suggested that Haven come on as a resident company, it was a dream come true. And then, we were offered the opportunity to name this new space, we could not have been happier.”

The Bookspan Theatre is named after Janet Bookspan, a respected arts educator, performance coach, director, performer. Haven Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Josh Sobel stated “"When Carol asked me about suggestions for a name of Haven Theatre’s new home at the Den, the thought process took, without exaggeration, about three seconds,” commented Sobel. “Janet was an influential force in the performing arts, with a life and career embodied by thinking outside the box and nurturing others to reach their full potential. Bestowing the new space with her name is also a significant moment for me personally, as Janet was my aunt as well as one of my biggest artistic influences. As Haven launches this season with a commitment to nurturing the theatrical voices of the future, how fitting it feels to have Janet’s name endowing this new venue and with it her spirit, her memory and her legacy.”

Cast for How We Got On includes: Tevion Lanier (Hank), Johnathan Nieves (Julian), Ireon Roach (Luann) and Angela Alise (Selector).

The production team for How We Got On includes: Jess McLeod (director), JC Windom (stage manager), Krista Mickelson (production manager and managing director) Arnel Sancianco (set designer), Stephanie Cluggish (costume designer), Lee Fiskness (lighting designer), Stephen Ptacek (sound designer) and Archer Curry (props designer and set dresser).

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT IDRIS GOODWIN

Idris Goodwin is a playwright, rapper and essayist. His plays include How We Got On, Remix 38 (Actors Theater of Louisville), And In This Corner: Cassius Clay (StageOne Family Theater), This Is Modern Art (Steppenwolf), Blackademics (MPAACT, Crowded Fire), Bars and Measures (B Street Theatre, NNPN RWP) and The Raid (Jackalope Theatre). Goodwin is one of the six playwrights featured in Hands Up, an anthology commissioned by The New Black Fest. Hands Up has been presented across the country. His latest play The Realness is having its world premiere at Merrimack Repertory Theatre. He is the recipient of Oregon Shakespeare’s American History Cycle Commission and InterAct Theater’s 20/20 Award. Goodwin has been a writer in residence at The Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Center, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor Program, The Lark Playwriting Center and New Harmony Project. An accomplished Hip Hop poet, his albums include Break Beat Poems and Rhyming While Black. Goodwin was featured on HBO, Sesame Street and Discovery Channel. He is the author of the pushcart nominated essay collection These Are The Breaks (Write Bloody, 2011). Goodwin is the co-host and contributor to Critical Karaoke, a radio show and podcast about music and culture. He also teaches performance writing and Hip Hop aesthetics at Colorado College.

ABOUT DIRECTOR JESS MCLEOD

Jess McLeod returns to Haven Theatre Company where she previously directed The Wedding Singer. Additional Chicago credits include Lauren Yee’s in a word (Strawdog Theatre Company), For Your Art: portrait of a young blu artist (Lyric Unlimited/Lyric Opera of Chicago), Shawn Pfautsch’s Season on the Line (The House Theatre of Chicago); Kevin Coval’s L-vis Live! (Victory Gardens Theater); Suzan-Lori Parks’s Venus (Steppenwolf Next Up!); Kin (Griffin Theatre); Emily Schwartz’s Funeral Wedding: The Alvin Play (Strange Tree Group); Babes In Arms (Porchlight Revisits) and The 48-Hour Musicals: Encore!, The Pajama Game and Fugitive Songs (The Music Theatre Company). New York credits include Joyce Carol Oates's The Corn Maiden, Harrison David Rivers’s Fell, Rachel Axler’s Kitchen Sink, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, Brad Ross & Joe Keenan’s The Times, and The Unauthorized Musicology of Ben Folds (NYMF).  Assistant/Associate Director: Moonshine! That Hee-Haw Musical (Dallas Theater Center), A Parallelogram (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The New Moon (City Center Encores!), Willful (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and Gypsy and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). McLeod served as co-artistic director of The Music Theatre Company from 2014-15, director of programming of The New York Musical Theatre Festival from 2005-08, festival coordinator of Louder Than A Bomb 2016 and works currently as a teaching artist with Storycatchers Theatre. She received her M.F.A from, Northwestern University.

ABOUT HAVEN THEATRE COMPANY

Haven Theatre Company is one of Chicago's fastest rising companies. Last fall, Haven's sold-out run of Arlene Hutton's Last Train to Nibroc, received a coveted four-star review from Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune, who proclaimed the production "deserves to be the sleeper hit of the summer." Nibroc also received three Joseph Jefferson Award nominations (the company’s first Jeff-eligible production) and received the prize for Best Principal Actress in a Play. In 2015, Haven launched “The Director's Haven,” a unique initiative built to better support the career development and community visibility of directors at the very earliest stages of their professional journeys. Additionally, Haven has produced highly lauded productions of Deborah Bruce's The Distance (U.S. Premiere), Theresa Rebeck's Seminar (Chicago Premiere), Catherine Treischmann's Hot Georgia Sunday (Chicago Premiere), Stephen Belber's Don't Go Gentle (Chicago Premiere) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. 

Haven Theatre Company announces How We Got On to begin their fourth season, written by Idris Goodwin and directed by Jess McLeod, at the company’s new home within the Den Theatre’s new Bookspan Theatre, 1335 Milwaukee Ave., September 29 – November 12. Previews are Thursday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, Oct.1 at 8 p.m. Opening night is Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Regular run tickets are $32, senior tickets are $20 and college/industry tickets are $15 (preview tickets are $12). You may purchase tickets and get more information at www.haventheatrechicago.com.