TIME OF YOUR LIFE at Victory Gardens. Photo by Brave Lux. 

After last summer’s successful launch of a staged reading of William Saroyan’s THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE, in partnership with Victory Gardens Theatre and The League of Chicago Theatres, The Chicago Inclusion Project, a collective of artists, committed to creating inclusive theater experiences, has announced three more upcoming projects with Writers Theatre, TimeLine Theatre and American Theatre Company.

Writers Theatre will feature a staged reading of George Bernard Shaw’s SAINT JOAN on July 11, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. in Glencoe.
“Diverse, equitable and inclusive casting must become an organic and reflexive gesture for any theatre artist, and The Project is doing valuable work to bring this conversation into the mainstream,” says Writers Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. “SAINT JOAN is generally thought to be one of Shaw’s masterpieces, and I think that the wonderful and inclusive cast that Writers Theatre and The Chicago Inclusion Project are bringing together on stage will make a terrific case for this way of thinking. Shaw, as it turns out, may have been even more ahead of his times than even HE knew himself (which is really saying something).”

SAINT JOAN features an inclusive cast of actors, including Charin Alvarez, Joseph Anthony Foronda, Nathan Hosner, Anish Jethmalani, Dan Lin, James Vincent Meredith, Jeff Parker, Julian Parker, Michael Perez, Adam Poss, Phillip Van Lear and Dominique Worsley with Avi Roque in the role of Joan.  The reading will be directed by WT Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and stage managed by David Castellanos.

Sarah Ruhl’s IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) in partnership with TimeLine Theatre will have a staged reading August 9, 2016 (time TBD) and finish out the summer reading series. Directed by TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe. Casting has yet to be announced.
“We are inspired by Chicago Inclusion Project’s mission and work, and we join them in the quest for inclusivity and bringing people together for shared theatre experiences that ignite conversation and new points of views”, says TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers.

Both readings are free and open to the public.  Reservations are required and will be open soon.

In a first for The Chicago Inclusion Project, they will partner exclusively with American Theatre Company on their 16/17 season. ATC will serve as the pilot organization for a new initiative of The Project: Casting Consultation. “The Chicago Inclusion Project is now available to lead an inclusive casting process in collaboration with interested Chicago-area theatres.  Artistic Director Will Davis commented, “As the new Artistic Director at ATC, I am working intensively for inclusion in all our institutional endeavors.  We are proud to partner with Chicago Inclusion Project in my first season.” More information about casting consultation can be found at thechicagoinclusionproject.org.

“It is deeply moving to see established Chicagoland theaters like Writers, TimeLine and American Theater Company truly considering the idea of inclusion, not just in our upcoming readings with them but in planning their future seasons,” said The Chicago Inclusion Project Founder/Producer, Emjoy Gavino. “The dialogue that has started has begun to turn into action, and we look forward to exploring what more we can do to further this conversation and this movement as a community: artists, administrators and patrons.”