About Face Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season to Feature Chicago Premieres & More

About Face Theatre is pleased to announce its 20th Anniversary Season, featuring three productions new to the Chicago stage, plus a series of staged readings celebrating its two extraordinary decades in Chicago. The 2015-16 Season kicks-off with the world premiere romantic comedy LE SWITCH by Artistic Associate Philip Dawkins, directed by Stephen Brackett, presented by special arrangement with Doug Nevin. The season continues with the Chicago premiere drama after all the terrible things i do by A. Rey Pamatmat, directed by Artistic Director Andrew Volkoff. The mainstage season concludes next spring with the Chicago premiere of the dark comedy THE SECRETARIES by The Five Lesbian Brothers, directed by Bonnie Metzgar. About Face is pleased to announce all three productions will be presented at its new resident theatre, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

AFT's 20th Anniversary programming will also include a yet-to-be-titled world premiere devised by the About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble and the return of the OUT FRONT Series, a year-round line-up of workshops and readings. Planned for the fall and winter, this year's OUT FRONT will be retrospective in focus, serving up readings of some of the most successful and pivotal plays in AFT's 20 year history, including DREAM BOY by Founder Eric Rosen, PULP by Pat Kane and THE HOMOSEXUALS by AFT Artistic Associate Philip Dawkins, as well as a yet-to-be-chosen About Face Youth Theatre show from the past. AFT's First DrAAft series, which spotlights the new work its Artistic Associates, will include a reading of THE HUNTED by AFT Artistic Associate Paul Oakley Stovall.

AFT's On Demand Memberships - a flexible, year-round membership ticket package - for the 20th Anniversary Season will go on sale Monday, July 20, 2015. For plans and prices, please visit www.aboutfacetheatre.org. Single tickets for additional programming will go on sale at a later date.

About Face is also happy to announce the addition of Keira Fromm and Alex Weisman as its newest Artistic Associates.

"After our incredibly successful 19th season, it's exciting to look forward to our 20th anniversary," comments About Face Artistic Director Andrew Volkoff. "About Face Theatre has come a long way in twenty years, so when putting together this anniversary season's programming, I created a season that celebrates our past yet still looks toward to our future. I want our audiences and supporters to be inspired, entertained and enlightened, yet still challenged and provoked. So, we've planned our season to take our audiences on a journey through some of the most exciting work in AFT's history as well as some of today's most compelling writers and a glimpse into what the next 20 years might hold. We're proud to have been a theatrical voice for the LGBTQ community for 20 years and we're looking forward to 20 more!," adds Volkoff.

About Face Theatre's 20th Anniversary Season includes:

January 15 - February 21, 2016

LE SWITCH - World Premiere!

Written by Artistic Associate Philip Dawkins

Directed by Stephen Brackett

Presented by special arrangement with Doug Nevin

In the world-premiere romance LE SWITCH, marriage equality finally reaches the U.S. and commitment-shy David finds himself unsure how to react to the nation's honeymoon phase. Nervous in the face of "wedding fever," he retreats to his home full of unopened books and his grieving activist roommate. When his best friend's bachelor party takes him to Montreal, he's unexpectedly swept off his feet by a beautiful young florist. In the months that follow, David and his non-traditional family must decide for themselves what it really means to be committed, what it means to be married and what it means to be queer.

March 11 - April 10, 2016
after all the terrible things i do - Chicago Premiere!

By A. Rey Pamatmat

Directed by Artistic Director Andrew Volkoff

This gripping and intimate new play from one of American theatre's rising stars explores the dark side of ordinary people, second chances and the price of forgiveness. Returning to his Midwestern hometown after college, Daniel, a young gay writer, takes a job at the local bookstore he knew as a child. After he and Linda, the Filipina bookstore owner, begin working together, they discover they share a dark connection that goes much deeper than a love of literature.

May 6 - June 12, 2016

THE SECRETARIES - Chicago Premiere!

By The Five Lesbian Brothers

Directed by Bonnie Metzgar

Featuring Artistic Associate Kelli Simpkins

Patty Johnson lands the job of her dreams at the Cooney Lumber Mill in Big Bone, Oregon. But it's a comic nightmare when she discovers - amidst slim fast shakes, celibacy pacts and hotel rendezvous (with Magic Fingers, of course!) - that her secretarial pool are chainsaw-wielding lumberjack killers! Equal parts humor, horror and satire, THE SECRETARIES is Twin Peaks meets The Stepford Wives in a smart, campy (and bloody!) comedy.

July 21 - 31, 2016

A World Premiere by The About Face Youth Theatre Ensemble

at the Claudia Cassidy Theatre at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago

Each year, About Face's acclaimed Youth Theatre devises a play through workshops, in depth interviews, theatre training and improvisation. Working with a professional writer and director, they produce plays that tackle challenging topics ranging from being undocumented and queer to anti-gay violence to safe spaces for youth in the LGBTQIA community. Next year, AFYT will tackle another pressing issue in the queer community and make another compelling piece of brand new theatre!

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