LOOKING FORWARD: Chicago Shows We're Excited About
Continuing our support of productions that embrace inclusion for artists and audiences, below are shows that you can buy tickets to THIS WEEK that we feel are moving our community in the right direction. Let your wallet do the talking. Buy tickets to shows that celebrate inclusion. Then write to producers and tell them you want to see more of it. Decision makers are led by numbers and this is one way we can all make a difference.
Chicago Inclusion Project Business Manager, Elana Elyce happens to be in a show that I couldn't recommend more highly - it's the remount of the highly acclaimed United Flight 232. Last year's production is one that I will never forget, not just because of the impeccable casting but the searing honesty and heart that went into every moment of this show. I am so excited to see it again.
The House Theatre of Chicago presents United Flight 232
Directed by Vanessa Stalling
Adapted from text by Laurence Gonzalez
Playing now through October 21
The Chopin Theatre 1543 W Division St
“I love you, hurry home. I love you.” On July 19, 1989, a DC-10 headed for O’Hare with 296 aboard is paralyzed mid-air. For 44 minutes, the aircraft descended towards an emergency landing and crashed at Sioux City Gateway airport. To the astonishment of all who witnessed the event, 184 of 296 passengers and crew survived. Drawing on the interviews and research conducted by Evanston author Laurence Gonzales for his critically acclaimed book, Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival, this brand new play, United Flight 232, is a reflection on how to comprehend tragedy and celebrate human ingenuity in the face of overwhelming challenges. Get your tickets here.
Abhi Shrestha, our Community Organizer and Dramaturg cannot wait to see FOR ONE, for the incredible artists and stories contained in one evening.
(re)discover theatre presents FOR ONE, devised and directed by Ann Kreitman, Alejandro Tey, Julian Stroop, Ned Baker, Shaina Schrooten, Avi Roque, Genvieve Locksley, Freedy-May AbiSamra, Molly Donahue, Melissa McNamara, Andrew Lund, Spencer Ryan Dedrick and Michael Turrentine
Playing now through September 30
Gunder Mansion 6219 N Sheridan Rd.
Enter into an unmatched personal experience. FOR ONE is a visceral fifty minute event comprised of five plays, built for an audience of one. There are two distinct tracks to choose from for your journey. Each play is it’s own adventure, creating a blend of breath-taking imagery, auditory, and intimate encounters. FOR ONE empowers its audience to affect the outcome of each play putting you in charge of your destiny. Get your tickets here.
Tickets for FOR ONE are $30
The cast and team includes Lara Dohner, Karissa Murrell Myers, Ligia Sandoval, Aissa Guerra, Rejinal Simon, Zac Schley, Kelly Schmidt, Eric Parmer, Phil Vasquez, Yana Atim, Selene Perez, Lara Carling, August Rain Stamper, Erika Lebby, Melissa McNamara, Michael Turrentine, Jay Von Ort, Sonja Mata, Song Marshall, Janet Howe, Claire Chrzan, Autumn McGarr, Sarai Moore, Berit Godo, Tristan Chiruvolu, Alex Meyer, Ellie Humphrys, John Kelly, Archer Curry, Sydney Achler, Matt Reich, Joshua Wentz and Pamela Davis
Charlie Hano, Casting Associate is thrilled about Our Town, because "the amazing crash is crushing it!"
Red Twist Theatre presents Our Town, directed by James Fleming
Playing now through October 8*
Red Twist Theatre 1044 W Bryn Mawr
*There will be an open captioned performance Friday, September 22, 7:30pm: This performance will be open captioned with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance. The display is positioned in such a way that it is open for anyone to see in a particular seating area. It is a service you may choose to use or ignore during the performance.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece of the 20th century is brought lovingly into the 21st century. Redtwist Associate Artistic Director James Fleming directs an intimate production of this American classic as a love letter to Chicago’s many communities and a reminder that life’s most ordinary moments are often the most profound. Get your tickets here
The cast and team includes Adam Bitterman as Joe Stoddard, Hunter Bryant as Si Crowell, Richard Costes as Stage Manager, Elena Victoria Feliz as Emily Webb, Rebecca Flores as Professor Willard/Others, Johnny Garcia as Constable Warren, Jacqueline Grandt as Mrs. Gibbs,Jared David Michael Grant as Mrs. Soames, Ada Grey as Rebecca Gibbs, Nicole Michelle Haskins as Mrs. Webb, Tom Jansson as Simon Stinson, Ramona Kywe as Sam Craig, Brian McKnight as Ensemble Man,Brian Parry as Doc Gibbs, Sarah Jane Patin as Ensemble Woman, Joel Rodriguez as Howie Newsome, Jaq Seifert as George Gibbs, Chinguun Sergelen as Wally Webb, Londen Shannon as Joe Crowell, Ben Veatch as Mr. Webb, James Fleming (Director), Max Colvill (Assistant Director), Melissa Hubbert (Stage Manager), Josy Gonzalo (Assistant Stag e Manager), Julia Heeren (Assistant Stage Manager), Joel Collins (Production Manager), Johnnie Schleyer (Tech Director), Lizzie Bracken (Scenic Designer), Daniel Friedman (Lighting Designer), Alon Stotter (Assistant Lighting Designer), Connor Wang (Sound Designer), Kendall Barron (Assistant Sound Designer), Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer), Shea Messinger (Props Designer), Robert Schleifer (ASL Coach), Charlie Hano & Catherine Miller (Casting Directors)
Jeff Trainor, Program Coordinator picks The Infinite Wrench because "the cast is strong and the shows are exciting!"
The Neo-Futurists presents The Infinite Wrench
playing every Friday and Saturday at 11:30pm and Sunday at 7pm, unless otherwise noted
The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland
The Infinite Wrench is a mechanism that unleashes a barrage of two-minute plays for a live audience. Each play offers something different—some are funny, others profound. Some are elegant, disgusting, topical, irreverent, terrifying, or put to song. All of the plays are truthful and tackle the here-and-now, inspired by the lived experiences of the performers. With new plays every week, The Infinite Wrench is The Neo-Futurists’ ongoing and ever-changing attempt to shift the conventions of live performance and speak to the present audience, including those unreached or unmoved by other types of theater.
Performances of The Infinite Wrench are priced at $9 + the roll of a six-sided die (or, pre-paid $20 with a rollback).
The cast and production team includes Kurt Chiang, Ida Cuttler, Dan Kerr Hobert, Tif Harrison, Leah Urzendowski Courser, Jasmine Henri Jordan, Connor Shioshita Pickett, Neil Bhandari, Kirsten Riiber, Nick Hart, Trevor Dawkins, Lily Mooney, Malic White, Joanna Jamerson and Trent Creswell
Casting Associate, Stephanie Diaz is thrilled about Muthaland. She explained, "What I'm particularly excited about is something I keep hearing and reading over and over: how utterly universal it feels despite the ultra-specificity of its cultural context, its particular interplay of traditions and circumstances and discovery. Audiences of all backgrounds and ages are recognizing themselves in her journey. It's this sense of perhaps-unlikely connection that makes this production, in my opinion, a marvelous example of why inclusivity is so vital not just in casting, but at the programming level-- beginning not just with staff, but season selection. We are all walking through this world together, connected whether we know it or not... and there is nothing theatre can deliver quite like the profound experience of realizing that."
16th Street Theatre presents Muthaland, directed by Heidi Stillman
Written by Minita Gandhi
playing now through October 7
6420 16th Street - Berwyn, IL
While foraging through her parents’ basement, Minita discovers her father’s worn suitcase from his very first journey to the United States, with a single statement scribbled in black Sharpie: “When I die, discard this bag if you like, until then it stays.” This sparked a curiosity leading to vulnerable interviews where her parents shared stories they had never spoken of before. By weaving their stories with her own life-changing journey to India in 2009 for her brother’s arranged marriage, Muthaland shares the magic of Minita’s journey to India, full of prophets, ritual, the convergence of American and Indian cultures and finding one’s own voice within a culture of silence. Get tickets here.
Ticket prices range from $18-22
Muthaland is performed by Minita Gandhi
