The Chicago Premiere of MARIE ANTOINETTE AND THE MAGICAL NEGROES Is Performing At The Story Theatre This Summer
This new play, which explores rebellion and Black liberation through the lens of the French Revolution, plays June 30 – July 17, 2022.
By: Grace Cutler Jul. 01, 2022
The Story Theatre will present the Chicago premiere of MARIE ANTOINETTE AND THE MAGICAL NEGROES, written and directed by Chicago playwright and Governing Ensemble Member Terry Guest. This new play, which explores rebellion and Black liberation through the lens of the French Revolution, will play June 30 - July 17, 2022 on Raven Theatre's Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville) in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at thestorytheatre.org or by calling (773) 338-2177. The press opening is Saturday, July 2 at 7:30 pm.
The production features Nathaniel Andrew, Brenna DiStasio, Keith Illidge, Danyelle Monson, Maya Vinice Prentiss, David Stobbe and Amber Washington. Understudies include Cat Christmas, Caitlin Dobbins, Jourdan Lewanda, Dylan Rogers and Marlene Slaughter.
This is a play about rage. Revolt. Revolution. Revenge. It is about what happens when Black people grow tired of sitting down and turning the other cheek. What are we left to do? Do we scream? Pray? Should we be peaceful? Should we riot? Can the tools we have used in the past possibly work for the future or do we need to write a new script? Using trap music, fashion shows and the backdrop of the French Revolution, Governing Ensemble member Terry Guest's Marie Antoinette & The Magical Negroes reimagines the myth of the lost monarchy and puts it into the hands and mouths of Black people.
The production team includes Jordan Dell Harris (Scenic Designer), Isaac-Jay Pineda (Costume Designer), Levi Wilkins (Lighting Design), Andrew Littleton (Sound Designer), Willow James (Composer), Ayanna Bria Bakari (Choreographer), Thomas Russell (Violence Designer), Elijah Miller (Associate Sound Designer), Paul Michael Thomson (COVID Safety Manager), Lucy Whipp (Production Manager), Stina Taylor (Technical Director), Liz Gomez (Master Electrician), Brittney Brown (Associate Director), Sydney Ha (Community & Outreach Coordinator), Ariel Beller (Assistant Stage Manager), Lucy Whipp (Stage Manager) and Meagan Dilworth and Paul Michael Thomson* (Producers).
Content Advisory: This production features strobe light effects and gunshot sound effects. This play explores violence of past and present, including gun violence, federal execution and discussion of lynching. If you would like more details before purchasing your ticket, please feel free to email production@thestorytheatre.org. The Story recognizes that individual sensitivities are myriad, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions.
COVID Protocols: The Story Theatre is proudly in residence at Raven Theatre and follows all COVID safety protocols accordingly. The Story and Raven currently require proof of vaccination and masking at all performances. Protocols subject to change closer to date of event. For all of Raven's current COVID- 19 and vaccination information, visit raventheatre.com/covid-19.
PRODUCTION DETAILS:
Title: Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes
Playwright/Director: Governing Ensemble Member Terry Guest
Cast: (in alphabetical order): Nathaniel Andrew (Savage), Brenna DiStasio (Marie Antoinette), Keith Illidge (Jim Crow), Danyelle Monson (Sapphire), Maya Vinice Prentiss (Sambo), David Stobbe (King Louis XVI) and Amber Washington (Mammy).
Understudies: Cat Christmas, Caitlin Dobbins, Jourdan Lewanda, Dylan Rogers and Marlene Slaughter.
Location: Raven Theatre's Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. (at Granville), Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, June 30 at 7:30 pm and Friday, July 1 at 7:30 pm
Press opening: Saturday July 2 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Sunday, July 3 - Sunday July 17, 2022
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
Tickets: Previews $15. Regular run $20. Students/active military and veterans $10. Tickets are currently available at thestorytheatre.org or by calling (773) 338-2177.
Group tickets: Special group rates are available. For information, call (773) 338-2177 or e-mail paulmichael@thestorytheatre.org.
Terry Guest is an award-winning playwright, actor, producer, poet and teaching artist based in Chicago. His play At The Wake of a Dead Drag Queen has been workshopped, read and performed all over the country and was the 2018 recipient of Out Front Theatre's Spectrum Series Grant. He is currently a member of the 2020/21 Goodman Theatre Playwrights Unit and is commissioned to write new plays by several other Chicagoland companies. As an actor Terry has worked at regional theaters around the country including Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Actors Express, and others. Terry is a Governing Ensemble Member at The Story Theatre and is signed by DDO Chicago. Inspired by: Whitney Houston, Stephen Sondheim, My grandma in the kitchen, Spike Lee, Tennessee Williams, Black Queer people, Black Women, Bob Mackie costumes, Kerry James Marshall, Liza Minelli and the creativity and resilience of Black people around the world.
Founded in 2018, The Story Theatre will pose questions rather than provide answers. We develop and produce new work that is whimsical, melancholic, mythic in vision, and intimate in scale. We are run by a Governing Artistic Ensemble, who ensures our work is actively dismantling racism and inequity, while cultivating community through activism and catharsis.
The Story Theatre is funded in part by The Michael and Mona Heath Fund, Chicago Bulls Charities, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, and The Cliff Dwellers.
Photo Credit: David Hagen
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