“TEN,” FEATURING SHORT PLAYS BY MAT SMART, LAURA MARKS AND DAVID RABE, KICKS OFF 2015 AT THE GIFT THEATRE TEN 10-MINUTE PLAYS, FREE, JANUARY 1-11, 2015

unnamed (14)TEN, The Gift Theatre’s annual season kickoff celebration of ten 10-minute plays, returns January 1-11, 2015. This year’s premieres by The Gift and guests were curated by artistic directorMichael Patrick Thornton and associate artistic director Paul D’Addario. Tickets to TEN are free for all at http://thegifttheatre.org/, however subscribers have the first opportunity to reserve. Advance reservations are recommended at 773-283-7071.

2015’s TEN plays include: 

THE CHILDREN

By Mat Smart

Directed by Tim Hopper

Featuring Gift ensemble member Jay Worthington and Rebekah Brockman

 SWEAT EQUITY

By Laura Marks

Directed by Lavina Jadhwani

Featuring Gift ensemble member Alexandra Main

THE LOOK OF HER

By David Rabe

Directed by Gift ensemble member Michael Patrick Thornton

Featuring Sarah Jane Ashenhurst, Si Osbourne and Justine Serino

WELCOME

By Gift ensemble member William Nedved

Directed by Alexander Lane

PAPERLAND

By Jennifer Rumberger

Directed by Sarah Gitenstein

Featuring Kristen Johnson and Meg Harkins

THERE IS NO MESSAGE IN THE MESSAGE

By Sean Graney

Directed by Laura Baker

Featuring Gift ensemble member Brittany Burch and Alexis Atwill

 

ERROR 12 QUIMBY

By Ed Flynn

Directed by Gift ensemble member Ed Flynn

Featuring Boyd Harris and Jason Huff

BYSTANDER

by Ike Holter

Directed by Erica Weiss

Featuring Linsey Page Morton and Sean Parris

And performances by Natural Gas and giftLit

TEN runs January 1-11, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with additional matinees on Saturday and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Avenue.

About The Gift Theatre

The Gift Theatre is dedicated to telling great stories on stage with honesty and simplicity. Most recent productions include: Bethany, Othello, Thinner Than Water, TEN 2014; Broadsword, Mine, and Vigils. The company also sponsors the giftED Ensemble, a rigorous two-year afterschool course for creative and motivated high school students on Chicago’s Northwest side, and the literary program/Salon Series giftLIT

The 2015 Season begins in January with TEN, The Gift’s annual kickoff celebration of ten-minute plays curated by artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton and associate artistic director Paul D’Addario. Following Mat Smart’s The Royal Society of Antarctica (March 5-April 26), director Marti Lyons (Bethany) returns for Body & Blood written by Gift Co-Founder, William Nedved (June 15- August 9). The season closes with David Rabe’s (Hurlyburly, Streamers) Good For Otto (September 25-November 23) directed by Gift Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Michael Patrick Thornton. Subscriptions for the entire 2015 season, which includes three world premieres, are available for as little as $75. The Gift subscribers (“Gifters”) receive admission to three shows, free parking at Gale Street Inn, free admission to all Wednesday night “Natural Gas” improv shows and invitations to special subscriber-only special events. Subscribe at http://thegifttheatre.org/ or call 773-283-7071.

The Gift Theatre is conveniently located at 4802 N. Milwaukee in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, and is easily accessible by the CTA Blue Line, the Lawrence and Milwaukee Avenue buses and the Kennedy Expressway. For more information about The Gift Theatre’s productions and programs, visit www.thegifttheatre.org.