A Theater In The Dark to Release New Sci-Fi Online Audio Play BIO-DAD Next Month

A Theater in the Dark has announced its newest audio play – BIO-DAD, by Chicago actor and playwright Julian “joolz” Stroop. This new play is a story of a young person whose journey to understand their late father takes them across galaxies and leads them to a greater understanding of themself as well as their family.

Stroop says “Bio-Dad is an audio play for anyone who's ever felt like an alien in their own life.” The recording will be released online for purchase on June 10, following a free listening party at the second-floor event space in Mrs. Murphy's Irish Pub and Bistro at 3905 N. Lincoln Avenue in Chicago on June 9. The party will begin with a cocktail hour hosted by the playwright from 5 to 6 pm and listeners are invited to bring their coloring books and favorite doodle items for a listening party from 6 to 8 pm. Admission is free of charge and the bar and restaurant will be open for business, offering food and drink for purchase.

Playwright Julian “joolz” Stroop (they/them/theirs)  is a Chicago-based actor who appeared in A Theater in the Dark's A MATTER OF RED HERRINGS. Greg Garrison, who authored that noir mystery pastiche, will direct BIO-DAD. The cast will include Eli Banks, Jen Diaz, Kayla Higbee, Bianca Phipps, Christin Prince, Alexander Slade, and James Whitson.  BIO-DAD will be streaming and available for purchase at http://www.atheaterinthedark.com/biodad beginning June 10, 2023; and is available for pre-order now.

A Theater in the Dark has been producing audio plays for five years. Their inaugural production was Mack Gordon's original noir mystery THREE STORIES UP, performed in person during Fall 2019. They followed that live play with several streaming productions during the pandemic shutdown, beginning with their first production of A WAR OF THE WORLDS in fall 2020, a reprise engagement of the Wells story in fall 2021; and new productions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL IN THE DARK in December 2020 and A WHITE WHALE OR MOBY DICK in spring 2021. That adaptation of the Herman Melville novel won the top prize of the Critic's Choice Award at the 2021 Atlanta Fringe Festival. Their 2022- 2023 season included the productions A MATTER OF RED HERRINGS, A MURDER IN THE COURT OF XANADU, and WHITE CITY: AN AUDIBLE EXHIBITION ON H.H. HOLMES, MURDERER. In fall 2023, Glessner House hosted A Theater in the Dark's series of sold-out immersive staged readings of Rick Kinnebrew's THE WHITE CITY.

The recording of BIO-DAD is now available for online pre-orders, and will be available to stream for $14.99 at https://www.atheaterinthedark.com beginning June 10.

BIOS

Julian “joolz” Stroop (Playwright, they/them/theirs) was in the cast of A Theater in the Dark's  A MATTER OF RED HERRINGS. You may have seen them on stage with Chicago Immersive, Strawdog Theater Company, or Midsommer Flight.

Greg Garrison (Director) is a Chattanooga-based playwright and performer with a passion for creating fresh and innovative works. His work with A Theater in the Dark includes A WAR OF THE WORLDS 2021 remount (Actor) and 2022's A MATTER OF RED HERRINGS (Writer). Other writing credits include MonsterBuster Entertainment's Horror Anthology DEAD BY MIDNIGHT (11 PM CENTRAL) (2019-2023).

His process of directing virtually from Tennessee with performers in Chicago and New York wonderfully captures the nature of this show, bringing different voices who may never otherwise have spoken into a conversation we all see happening in the world around us. He would like to thank his outstanding cast for building these characters, his wife Bethany for all of her support, Corey Bradberry for recognizing the potential in this story, and joolz for creating such a rich world to live in.

Corey Bradberry (Producing Artistic Director, Bio-Dad Producer) is a Chicago-based director and producer, Producing Artistic Director of A Theater in the Dark, and a Director and Faculty Member at The Second City Chicago. Last fall, Corey directed an in-person, sold-out immersive staged reading of Rick Kinnebrew's THE WHITE CITY at Glessner House, originally created as a streaming audio play through ATITD. He previously directed A MURDER IN THE COURT OF XANADU, A WAR OF THE WORLDS, and the immersive in-the-dark THREE STORIES UP. Corey is a Kennedy Center National Directing Fellow and a recipient of the City of Atlanta's Emerging Artist Award; and also an Equity-Jeff Award-winning Production Manager for A Red Orchid's THE MOORS. He has assistant directed with major institutions including the Second City and Atlanta's Alliance Theatre. Education: M.F.A. Directing; B.A. Theatre & Performance Studies. Additional Training: Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Second City Advanced Directing program. Instagram: @corey.bradberry. www.coreybradberry.com

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