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Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench returns for weekly in-person shows
--From a press release
CHICAGO (August 3, 2021)—Chicago's longest running late-night show, The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench, returns for weekly in-person performances on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 (opening night Monday, Sept. 20), 19 months ...
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THEATER 'Intimate Apparel' surfaces in Utah after delayed Northlight staging
Some Chicago-area theaters plan to welcome back live audiences with shows that were physically on their stages at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown last year. That's not the case with Intimate Apparel at Northlight ...
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First-ever managing artistic director of Fine Arts Building named
Following a comprehensive national search, theater director and producer Jacob Harvey has been named the first-ever managing artistic director of the historic theaters at Chicago's Fine Arts Building at 410 S. Michigan Ave. Harvey returns to ...
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THEATER Proof of vaccination required to attend 'Teatro Zinzanni'
Randolph Entertainment, presenting Teatro ZinZanni in Chicago, announced that it will be requiring all guests older than 12 to show proof of vaccination to attend its dinner and performance. This requirement will apply to all performances ...
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About Face Theatre's 27th season to be produced at The Den Theatre beginning March
--From a press release
CHICAGO (July 27, 2021) — About Face Theatre is excited to announce its return to live, in-person theatre with its 27th season. Dedicated to telling queer stories that advance dialogue about gender and sexuality, AFT will ...
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Winifred Haun & Dancers announces 2021-22 season, return to live performances
--From a press release
Chicago & Oak Park, IL — Winifred Haun & Dancers will return to in person theater events and live programming for the upcoming 2021|22 Season. The Company will be presented at the Pritzker Pavilion, Ruth Page ...
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THEATER Sideshow offers residency, announces digital house parties
Sideshow Theatre Company announced it will be offering a nine-month artistic residency to Chicago-based playwright Preston Choi. Through the residency, Sideshow will provide Choi with artistic and dramaturgical support as ...
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OUTspoken storytelling to host six takes from LGBTQ+ perspective
--From a press release
The month of August is hot - but OUTspoken at the Sidetrack will be even hotter on Aug. 3 when six storytellers will tell tales of fun and fortune from a LGBTQ+ perspective! The program will start at 7:00 pm at ...
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SHOWBIZ Script contest, LGBTQ film, Lady Gaga, Showtime, out sprinter
GLAAD and The Black List—the writer-centric entity whose work includes its annual list, screenplay marketplace, writer labs, and film and television productions—announced plans for The 2021 GLAAD List, the third ...
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DANCE Deeply Rooted named to INFLUENCERS Cohort
Chicago's Deeply Rooted Dance Theater is one of five dance companies (and the only Midwestern one) named to the International Association of Blacks in Dance's (IABD's) INFLUENCERS Cohort for the 2021 COHI/MOVE program. The five ...
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Ravinia to unveil 'Bernstein's Answer' immersive theater experience
--From a press release
HIGHLAND PARK, IL—On Saturday, August 7, the Ravinia Festival and Jeffrey P. Haydon, its President and CEO, will officially unveil the Ravinia Music Box (RMB) and its immersive theater experience, titled Bernstein's Answer, and fully open ...
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THEATER 2nd Story announces first half of 2021-22 season
One of Chicago's longest-running storytelling collectives, 2nd Story, announced the first half of its 23rd season of programming for 2021-22. The season will feature nearly 30 world-premiere stories and storyteller debuts, as well as 20 of ...
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THEATER Steppenwolf announces co-artistic directors
Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced a new model of leadership, naming ensemble members Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis as the incoming artistic directors of the storied Chicago company. The new appointment ...
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PERFORMANCE Gay performer Michael Cunio part of 'Teatro ZinZanni'
Teatro ZinZanni Chicago carved out its own niche on the 14th floor of Cambria Hotel back in 2019, with the premiere of Love, Chaos, & Dinner. Blending dinner with a show under the big top in a Belgium mirror tent called ...
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Suburban theater employees leave over perceived anti-LGBTQ policy
At least two employees of a Christian-oriented suburban theater company—Sophie Murk and Will Higgins—have resigned in recent weeks, citing its policy toward LGBTQ+ students, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The exits ...
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The Actors Gymnasium to hold community circus, celebrate 25th year
--From a press release
Evanston, IL, July 15, 2021 — Actors Gym is proud to announce Summer Salon 2021, an evening of circus under the stars in Tallmadge Park to celebrate the organization's 25th year. It will be a family-friendly ...
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THEATER Chicago ensemble presenting play on bisexuality
The Trance, a Chicago-based theater ensemble, returns to the stage with Riding the Bicycle. It will be performed at The Edge Theatre, 5451 N. Broadway, on Friday-Saturday, July 30-31, at 8 p.m. According to an email ...
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Victory Gardens Theater to hold series of virtual Town Hall forums
--From a press release
Chicago, IL— Victory Gardens Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Ken-Matt Martin and Acting Managing Director Roxanna Conner, will hold a series of Town Halls to introduce Ken-Matt to the VG community and share news ...
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Goodman Theatre reopens with School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
--From a press release
(Chicago, IL) School is back in session! Goodman Theatre returns to the stage with the Chicago-premiere production of the Off-Broadway smash sensation, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play. Full casting is below. Written by ...
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Raven Theatre announces 2021-22 season
--From a press release
CHICAGO (July 12, 2021) — Raven Theatre is pleased to welcome back live audiences with the announcement of its 2021-22 season, featuring three productions previously postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new season also marks ...
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American Blues to present 'The Great American (and French) Songbook'
On Friday, July 16, American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, will present The Great American (and French) Songbook, performed by Suzy Petri and guests as part of its music series ...
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THEATER Playhouse, renowned chef to present 'Recipe for Disaster' Oct. 6
James Beard Award-winning chef Rick Bayless and Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein announced they will present "A Recipe for Disaster" a farcical experience set in the world of restaurants starting Oct. 6. Bayless, Rubenstein ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Hedwig,' Oscars, Demi Lovato, GLAAD, Stevie Nicks
Following 2019's sold-out, three-night engagement at The Town Hall in New York City (and several postponements in 2020), Hedwig and the Angry Inch co-creators John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask are returning with a rock spectacle ...
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THEATER Goodman's 'I Hate It Here' to stream July 15-18
Goodman Theatre's streaming-in-real-time Live series will conclude with I Hate It Here, written by Ike Holter and directed by Lili-Anne Brown. I Hate It Here appears July 15, at 7:30 p.m.; July 16, at 7:30 p.m.; ...
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PrideArts 2021-22: "The Search for Identity Among Queer Communities"
CHICAGO — An Australian musical, a comedy-drama from the writer whose play was adapted as the hit movie JUDY, an Uptown holiday celebration, a new Ruth Bader Ginsberg bio, and a fifth play to be announced, ...
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DANCE Deeply Rooted to perform in person July 16-17
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater's Summer Dance Intensive (SDI)—which takes place in a hybrid format combining in-person and virtual instruction this year—will culminate with in-person performances of new works Friday and ...
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The Den Theatre set to reopen this fall
CHICAGO (June 25, 2021) — The Den Theatre (1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.) announced today it will welcome back audiences for live performances this fall. The line-up at Wicker Park's premier ...
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THEATER Lyric Opera opening with 'Macbeth' and 'Elixir' in Sept.
Lyric Opera of Chicago will welcome audiences once again to the Lyric Opera House for the start of the company's 67th season this fall, with two Italian works in repertory in September and October. Both operas ...
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THEATER The New Colony changes course, name
Longtime off-Loop Chicago theater company The New Colony announced it will change its name to The New Coordinates (TNC). The rebranding is part of a larger restructuring process to actively work towards being an anti-racist organization. ...
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MOVIES 'Truman & Tennessee' opening July 2 at Music Box
The film Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation will open Friday, July 2, in physical and virtual theater in Chicago at Music Box Theatre. Actors Zachary Quinto and Jim Parsons make voiceover contributions in the film ...
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Auditorium Theatre's 'Devil's Ball' on Aug. 27
The Auditorium Theatre Auxiliary Board is hosting its annual Devil's Ball on Friday, Aug. 27—the first public event at the venue since its closure in March 2020. This year's theme, Roaring Back, is a revival of ...
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Black Ensemble Theater receives $5M grant from MacKenzie Scott
Black Ensemble Theater founder, Executive Director and CEO Jackie Taylor announced that the theater has received a $5 million grant from MacKenzie Scott. Taylor said she hopes that this gift will motivate other philanthropists and funders ...
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Blue Man Group returning Aug. 18
Blue Man Group will return to Chicago's Briar Street Theatre on Wed., Aug. 18. A dynamic combination of art, music, comedy and technology, Blue Man Group encourages audiences to reconnect with their inner (and outer) child ...
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Wizard World Chicago returning Oct. 15-17
Wizard Brands, Inc. announced that its flagship event, Wizard World Chicago, will officially make its triumphant return Oct. 15-17 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. All tickets purchased for the originally scheduled event ...
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Mercury Theater Chicago open house July 10-11; Honey West new Venus Cabaret director
--From a press release
Chicago (June 14, 2021)— Mercury Theater Chicago will celebrate its reopening plans at an Open House at the Venus Cabaret, 3745 N. Southport Ave, on July 10 and 11, 2021. The Open House will be a ...
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Mayor Lightfoot and DCASE announce more summer cultural events across Chicago
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced even more returning, new and reimagined summer cultural events across Chicago — plus artist lineups and other details ...
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Dennis Watkins' The Magic Parlour reopens at Palmer House Hilton on Aug. 6
Third-generation magician and mind reader Dennis Watkins announced that Dennis Watkins' The Magic Parlour will return to Chicago's Palmer House Hilton for in-person performances beginning Friday, Aug. 6. Watkins will ...
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2021-22 Season at Goodman Theatre announced
--From a press release
(Chicago, IL) It's a summer "homecoming" for Goodman Theatre audiences! On July 30, Chicago's theater since 1925 resumes live, in-person performances following a 16-month COVID-19 pandemic period of darkened stages. ...
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About Face Theatre announces recipients of playwriting grants
--From a press release
CHICAGO (June 3, 2021) - About Face Theatre announced today that it is awarding grants to two local LGBTQ+ playwrights to support their creative work. Playwrights Hannah Ii-Epstein (she/her) and ...
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Actor/artist creates huge mural for new Steppenwolf center
Chicago-based artist/actor Tony Fitzpatrick has created a massive mural for the exterior of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's new Arts and Education Center, 1646 N. Halsted St. Commissioned by Steppenwolf as a highly visible public-art installation for th ...
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Jay Españo named Artistic Director of PrideArts, planning 2021-22 season
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Jay Espano, a Chicago actor, director, and filmmaker whose theater training includes education in The Philippines as well as an MFA from Chicago's Columbia College, has been named Artistic Director of PrideArts. Cheri Tatar, ...
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VIRTUAL CONCERT Lyric Opera airing 'The New Classics' on June 10
On Thursday, June 10, The Lyric Opera will air airtual cabaret featuring Broadway and Lyric artists in "The New Classics: Songs from the New Golden Age of Musical Theater." The event will start at 7 p.m ...
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Black Ensemble Theater, African American theater companies across country form new national alliance
--From a press release
[CHICAGO, IL] — In an effort to share knowledge, resources and strengthen the infrastructure of the Black theatre landscape in the United States, the country's independent Black theatre building owners ...
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Billy Masters
"I will never trust pants again!"—Lil Nas X on his wardrobe malfunction on Saturday Night Live. To see the incident—and Lil's commentary—check out BillyMasters.com. We have a Memorial Day tradition ...
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Oak Park Festival Theatre holding June 15 talk on James Baldwin
Oak Park Festival Theatre is hosting the free online event "James Baldwin: His Impact on the Theatre Then, Now, and in the Future," on Tuesday, June 15, at 7-8 p.m., that will feature scholar/author Dr. Eddie ...
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Northlight Theatre to open its 2021-2022 season in September
--From a press release
Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces its 2021-2022 season, opening with the tour-de-force musical Songs for Nobodies, by Joanna ...
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ARTS 'Teatro ZinZanni' returning July 8
Teatro ZinZanni is returning to the Chicago Loop with new acts and a unique, immersive dining and live entertainment experience. Its brand-new show begins July 8 in the Spiegeltent ZaZou, located on the 14th floor in ...
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Court Theatre announces return to live theatrical programming for 2021/22
--From a press release
COURT THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2021/22 SEASON, RETURN TO LIVE PROGRAMMING Chicago, IL - Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, announces a return to live ...
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About Face Theatre starts Green Room Collective for LGBTQ+ arts leadership development
--From a press release
CHICAGO (May 19, 2021) — About Face Theatre announces the launch of the Green Room Collective, a new program for early career LGBTQ+ arts leaders. This program builds on over two decades of leadership development work ...
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Congo Square Theatre Company, Sydney Chatman recipients of 2021 Joyce Awards
--From a press release
CHICAGO (May 20, 2021)—Sydney Chatman and Congo Square Theatre Company were announced this week as recipients of the Joyce Foundation's 2021 Joyce Awards. Since 2003, the Joyce Awards have supported the creation of new work by ...
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Chicago theaters announce plans for in-person performances
--From a press release
Chicago — The League of Chicago Theatres is pleased to highlight upcoming in-person performances this spring and summer. Many companies are also preparing for fall venue and production openings and some are taking advantage of the ...
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Steppenwolf announces The Loft, youth art competition
--From a press release
CHICAGO (May 19, 2021)—Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is excited to announce initial programming details for The Loft, its first-ever dedicated education space that encompasses the ...
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Next OUTspoken event taking place June 1
OUTspoken will provide four tales of fun and fortune from an LGBTQ+ perspective on Tuesday, June 1, starting at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This program is free. Interested parties can go to Facebook, log on to ...
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COMEDY Bianca Del Rio announces 'Unsanitized' comedy tour
Comedy queen and RuPaul's Drag Race champion Bianca Del Rio announced her "Unsanitized" comedy tour, which will hit 26 cities this fall. Among the stops will be the Chicago venue The Vic, on Oct. 10. Del ...
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Citadel Theatre to return in fall with a four-show 2021-22 season
--From a press release
LAKE FOREST, IL - Citadel Theatre Company will return to live, in-person, indoor performances in September with a season of four productions — three plays plus the company's traditional holiday musical - according to Artistic Director ...
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Cast announced for May 18 virtual reading of JEFFREY
--From a press release
CHICAGO — PrideArts today announced the full cast for its upcoming reading of Paul Rudnick's comedy JEFFREY. David Belew, founder and former artistic director of Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, will direct a cast that will include ...
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Heather Headley to headline Goodman Theatre's May 22 virtual gala
Goodman Theatre announced that Tony-winning Broadway actor and Grammy Award-winning singer Heather Headley will headline the company's "Together Center Stage" virtual 2021 gala fundraiser. "Together Center Stage" is slated to stream Saturday, May 22, ...
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THEATER Artistic Director Anna Shapiro leaving Steppenwolf post
Anna D. Shapiro—the artistic director of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 2015—will leave her post when her contract expires in August. Over the last several months, Shapiro has been working ...
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VIRTUAL THEATER Oak Park Festival Theatre to present 'The Venetians'
Oak Park Festival Theatre, in partnership with Kane Repertory Theatre, is presenting a virtual production of The Venetians, a new play by Matt Barbot that brings together various characters from several of Shakespeare's best-loved plays to ...
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THEATER 'A Portrait of My Mother' to start streaming May 9
Jarrott Productions will present the world premiere of A Portrait of My Mother, written and performed by Carlo Lorenzo Garcia and directed by David R. Jarrott. The autobiographical tribute to Garcia's mother, Maria, begins streaming on ...
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Mercury Theater to reopen; new artistic director named
Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave., has announced its reopening—along with new leadership. New Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter returns to the theater where he collaborated on the hit productions of Little Shop of Horrors ...
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Story of Chicagoan and Broadway influencer Sister Rosetta Tharpe on to Broadway
--From a press release
NEW YORK (April 4, 2021) — Prolific writer and Chicago native Cheryl L. West (FANNIE: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer; Jar the Floor), will be joined on the creative team of SHOUT SISTER ...
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THEATER 'Security,' with Eric Roberts, running April 10-May 2
Kane Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Daniil Krimer and Managing Director Avery Bowne announced the world-premiere online production of Hammaad Chaudry's Security, as part of the company's new Multiplatform Commission. Security ...
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THEATER 'The Summer of Daisy Fay' out April 5
New American Folk Theatre (NAFT) is presenting The Summer of Daisy Fay—the inaugural production of NAFT's "season of audio theater" that features new recordings of three of the company's past productions. The one-woman show starring N ...
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Submissions from Black musical-theater writers sought for album
Broadway Records and Black Theatre Coalition (BTC) announced today the call for submissions for Black Writers Amplified, a new album consisting entirely of new works by Black musical-theater writers to be released in 2021. Black Writers ...
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Victory Gardens names artists for Black Monologues, part of Black Beauty Fest
--From a Victory Gardens Theater press release
Chicago, IL— Victory Gardens Theater, in partnership with The Black Women's Expo and Black Owned Chicago, presents the 5th Edition of the Black Beauty Festival (BBF), April 10-11, 2021. Offered virtually for the first time, Black ...
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Next virtual OUTspoken on April 6
The next OUTspoken storytelling event will take place Tuesday, April 6, starting at 7 p.m., on Zoom. Speakers will include a writer/storyteller, a teacher, a professional photographer and a caregiver. Joy Wright is a nominated Best-of-the-Net ...
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Steppenwolf to present reading of queer Muslim play on March 28
Steppenwolf Theatre Company's new play-development initiative, SCOUT, will present A Virtual Reading of Mosque4Mosque, by Omer Abbas Salem, on Sunday, March 28, at 2 p.m. The free reading follows a 30-hour workshop process directed by Arti ...
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SHOWBIZ 'The World to Come' film, Dan Reynolds, Broadway, Green Lantern
The lesbian-themed film The World to Come is available to buy or rent, a press release noted. In this 19th-century romance (from Bleeker Street) that's set in the Northeast, Abigail (played by Katherine Waterston), a farmer's ...
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THEATER Global, Grindr-based 'Borders' to run Feb. 25-27
Dirty Laundry Theatre's virtual experience Borders, directed by Chicago resident Michael R. Piazza, will feature three live shows on Feb. 25-27. Written by Nimrod Danishman and directed by Piazza, Borders tells the story of two gay ...
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'You For Me For You' benefit on Feb. 28
Sideshow Theatre Company will launch its 2021 season with a one-night-only benefit screening of its 2018 hit You For Me For You, written by Mia Chung and directed by ensemble member Elly Green. The archival recording ...
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Court Theatre announces 2021 Southside Youth Fest, platform for teens
--From a press release
Chicago, IL - Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, announces Court's 2021 Southside Youth Fest, inviting South Side teens to submit original digi ...
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Court Theatre premieres spotlight podcast highlighting Black writers
--From a press release
Chicago, IL - Court Theatre, under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, announces the online premiere of its Spotlight Podcast. A key component of Court's community ...
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Next 'OUTspoken' event March 2
The next session of OUTspoken—a monthly storytelling event that centers on tales of fun and fortune from local LGBTQ+ men and women and their close friends—will take place Tuesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. on Zoom. ...
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Stage Left Theatre announces new Literary Manager
--From a press release
Stage Left Theatre is delighted to announce Bobbi Masters as our new Literary Manager. She is an artist/educator with a passion for new work who has been involved in various phases of new play development throughout ...
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