5 Years of Chicago Women’s Funny Festival
Photo courtesy of 5’10 Club. The CHICAGO WOMEN’S FUNNY FESTIVAL returns for its fifth year at Stage 773 in the Lakeview neighborhood. Led by Stage 773 Director of Operations, Jill Valentine, and Chicago actor/comedian Liz McArthur, the festival is a unique opportunity to feature and celebrate female performers in all...
The Trauma of Vulnerability Betrayed
Here’s what may seem like a stupid question: Why are so many members of the Chicago theater community feeling so overwhelmed by the publication of the Reader piece about alleged abuses at Profiles Theater?
20 Years of Abuse at Profiles: #NotInOurHouse Responds
Updated 6/9/16 In a nearly thirteen thousand word exposé in the Chicago Reader, Aimee Levitt and Christopher Piatt concluded a year’s worth of investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and abuse over the course of twenty years at Profiles Theatre, primarily perpetrated by actor and Co-Artistic Director, Darrell W. Cox....
Steppenwolf Announces New Casting Director
Steppenwolf has announced JC Clementz as their new Casting Director taking over duties on June 13th. A native of the Chicago suburbs, Clementz spent the past five years on the artistic staff at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, where he most recently served as the Artistic Associate: Casting Director & Director of the Emerging...
Babes With Blades 16/17 Season Explores Women on the Battlefront
THE PROMISE OF A ROSE GARDEN boot camp/first rehearsal. Photo by Elyse Dawson Babes With Blades Theatre Company, the long-standing all-female stage combat focused ensemble, is slated to open their 19th season with THE PROMISE OF A ROSE GARDEN by Dustin Spence, winner of their JOINING SWORD & PEN playwriting competition,...
43rd Annual Non-Equity Jeff Award Winners
The cast of RENT at Theo Ubique. Photo by Adam Veness “The Hairy Ape”- Eugene O’Neill’s expressionist play presented in a stark, brutal and imaginative setting; “Byhalia, Mississippi”- a new work of southern love and forgiveness, and “Rent”- the musical update of “La Boheme” performed in a small storefront theatre, took...
INSIDE WASTWATER Part 1: Why This Play? Why Now?
In this 4-part feature, PerformInk continues it’s INSIDE series and takes you behind the scenes of Steep’s production of WASTWATER, directed by Robin Witt.
Jonathan Berry—The Epitome of a Chicago Director
I’d like to take you back to 2008. Eight years ago, 34-year-old director Johnathan Berry had major profiles in both Time Out Chicago and the Chicago Tribune, heralding him as the epitome of a Chicago theater director. Time Out called that upcoming season “A Berry Year,” and for good reason. The soft-voiced, genial craftsman was about to embark on four Chicago premieres, including his first Equity production at Remy Bumppo, The Marriage of Figaro. On the Shore of the Wide World at Griffin would mark the first of several plays by Olivier and Tony Award-winning British playwright Simon Stephens directed by Berry.
Cock and Bull Commissions Playwright Megan Breen For New Ibsen Adaptation
Cock and Bull announced this morning they’ve commissioned Los Angeles playwright Megan Breen to create a contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play Ghosts titled LECHEROUS HONEY. In this new immersive production premiering at the Berger Park North Mansion this October, Cock and Bull will expand its work of original...
Getting Out of Our Own Way: Embracing Vulnerability
In order to use our gifts we have to be both willing and able to allow ourselves to be seen. For most of us, showing the world what we consider to be our least attractive traits is damn hard.