League of Chicago Theatres Announces Fall Theatre Showcase Dates
The League of Chicago Theatres continues its free Theatre Showcase series this October and November with performances by five Chicago companies, including Oracle Productions and Red Theater, The Annoyance Theatre, Raven Theatre, Waltzing Mechanics and Windy City Playhouse. Performances will take place on October 30 and November 20, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. inside the historic Water Works building at 163 E. Pearson Ave. The Showcase is a free 45-minute lunchtime event and is ideal for those who work and live near North Michigan Ave, as well as visitors shopping along the Magnificent Mile. Both showcase events will be hosted by Benno Nelson from The Common Room.
The Showcase series is a sample of short performances designed to give audiences a sneak peek at some of the work happening around Chicago. The Showcase series is free and open to the public. No reservations are required.
October 30 at noon
Oracle Productions and Red Theater’s R+J: The Vineyard
Annoyance Productions: It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!
Raven Theatre’s Direct from Death Row: The Scottsboro Boys
Host: Benno Nelson from The Common Room
November 20 at noon
Waltzing Mechanics: El Stories: Holiday Train
Windy City Playhouse: Chapter Two
Host: Benno Nelson from The Common Room
About the Participants
Benno Nelson
Benno is the founder and producer of the Common Room, a monthly show featuring live previews of the best plays running in Chicago. Benno has also served as dramaturg for productions and readings with A Red Orchid Theatre, the Inconvenience, LiveWire, New Leaf and more, and directed productions at The New Colony and Oracle’s B-Sides. His writing has appeared in Time Out, the Paper Machete, and City Lit Theater’s Art of Adaptation Festival.
R + J: The Vineyard
Oracle Productions and Red Theater
3809 N. Broadway
Runs through November 22, 2015
R+J: THE VINEYARD is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in 1890s Martha’s Vineyard where a unique deaf/hearing bilingual agricultural community gave way to a budding tourism industry. Intense cultural lines are drawn between hearing and non-hearing as land, lifestyle, and livelihoods ignite the Capulet and Montague families. This beautiful and physical production is both spoken and performed in American Sign Language and intended for all audiences.
Direct from Death Row: The Scottsboro Boys
Raven Theatre
6157 N. Clark St., Chicago
Running through November 14, 2015
Nine African-American teenagers falsely accused in 1931 of assaulting two white Alabama women spent decades in the legal system fighting for their lives. They return from eternity to our stage, where they keep their story alive through songs, a magic act, skits and soft shoe – all to convey the tawdry show that their case became.
It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!
Annoyance Theatre
851 W. Belmont Ave.
This year’s annual Christmas celebration at the James’ home has a macabre twist. Along with the traditional passive-aggressive silences and sniping, Dad has surprising news: he’s been dilly-dallying with the next door neighbor. Now, throw in the accidental murder of a loathed uncle — with the neighborly sweetheart’s “slow” son as the culprit — and you have a Christmas Eve decorated with dysfunction, distrust, and disaster; but damn funny.
El Stories: Holiday Train
Waltzing Mechanics at the Greenhouse Theater Center
2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Runs November 28 – January 9, 2015
Recognized in 2012 as one of the top fringe shows by the Chicago Tribune, this special edition of EL Stories celebrates (and laments?) one of the city’s most recognized institutions with an hour-long ride, featuring some of our favorite Yuletide public transit stories. And as always, each night audience members are invited to share an EL story of their own for a chance to have it played back during the performance or included in a future show. Happy Holidays!
Chapter Two
Windy City Playhouse
3014 W. Irving Park Rd.
Runs November 1 – December 20, 2015
When spy novelist George Schneider lost his wife, he thought he would never date again. After his pushy younger brother set up him with a few duds, he knew he would never date again. Enter Jennie, a soap opera actress with a sensitive side who just might be able to bring George back into the light. When is it time to let go and let love back in? Find out in Simon’s sparkling rom-com, Chapter Two.
About Hot Tix
Hot Tix, a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, offers half-price theatre tickets for the current week’s performances as well as future dates. Hot Tix locations include the Water Works building, 163 E. Pearson, 72 E. Randolph and Block Thirty Seven, 108 N. State. Hot Tix half-price tickets are also available for purchase online at HotTix.org.
About Chicago theatre
Chicago theatre is a leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 that have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In the 2014-2015 season, Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year, Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.
About the League of Chicago Theatres
The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.
For a comprehensive list of Chicago theatre productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets are available at HotTix.org or at one of three downtown locations.