American Theater Company (ATC) celebrates its 25th Anniversary with The Silver Project, a year-long festival of 30 world premiere short plays penned by some of the country's leading playwrights. The Silver Project will run over ten evenings between February 8, 2010 and June 20, 2010 at American Theater Company, 1909 W Byron St, Chicago.
In addition, ATC proudly announces the addition of three new ensemble members: Usman Ally, Patrick Andrews and Jaime Castañeda. They join fellow ensemble members Kareem Bandealy, Joseph Minoso, and Sadieh Rifai. Ally most recently starred in Victory Gardens' critically-acclaimed production of Kris Diaz's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity; Andrews played the Emcee in Drury Lane Oakbrook's hit revival of Cabaret; and Castañeda will direct the world premiere of Diaz's Welcome to Arroyo's this spring at ATC.
To celebrate the company's 25th Anniversary, Artistic Director PJ Paparelli asked over 30 playwrights across the country to choose a year between 1985 and 2010 and write a short play that explores the company's mission: "what does it mean to be an American?" Directed and performed by over 50 Chicago artists, the plays will be presented in five parts throughout the year and as a complete cycle during the annual Theatre Communications Group Conference June 16-20, 2010 here in Chicago. As a prologue for the evening, Paparelli will collaborate with internationally-acclaimed Cuban playwright Maria Irene Fornes on a world premiere piece exploring America over the last 25 years.
"We are celebrating our anniversary by creating an historic event that brings together some of the country's leading playwrights with Chicago's most innovative artists to explore 25 years of American life," said Paparelli. "Both The Silver Project and our new ensemble members exemplify our company's future. We see ourselves as a theatrical crossroads for extraordinary artists that give voIce To America today."
THE PLAYWRIGHTS:Patrick Andrews will next be seen with Tracy Letts and Francis Guinan in American Buffalo at Steppenwolf Theatre directed by Amy Morton, and most recently performed as the Emcee in Cabaret at Drury Lane Theatre and in the pop culture explosion Stupid Kids at About Face Theatre. Other Chicago Credits: The Benefit Readings of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later and The Laramie Project (About Face Theatre), the folk rock opera The Snow Queen (Victory
Gardens), The People's Temple and the regional premiere of Speech & Debate (American Theater Company), The Actor (Goodman), Willy Wonka (Chicago Shakespeare), Ellen Under Glass (House Theatre), Into the Woods and Oliver (Marriott Theatre), the physical adaptation of Dorian Gray, Dorian (Bailiwick.) He collaboratively created and performed in the House Theatre's award winning production The Sparrow (Steppenwolf, Apollo, Viaduct). Regional/Tour: West Side Story (Walnut Street Theatre, PA), Fosse (National Tour). He adapts 4th graders writing into plays from time to time with Barrel of Monkeys and loves getting the GLBTQA Youth Ensemble at About Face Theatre moving and shaking, and working with Black Box Acting Studio.
Jaime Castañeda was awarded a 2008 Princess Grace Fellowship with ATC where he assistant directed both versions of Topdog/Underdog and True West, and directed/co-wrote a new version of Blood Wedding co-written by Kristoffer Diaz. This season at ATC he will direct the World Premiere of Diaz's Welcome to Arroyo's. His directing credits include One for the Road (DirectorFest), Crave, Closer, Blue/Orange, Nocturne, Sonnets for an Old Century (FireStarter Productions), Red Light Winter (Perseverance Theatre), Attack of the Asians (Kennedy Center) This is How it Goes (Amphibian Stage Productions) Lincolnesque, A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant (Circle Theatre). Jaime has assistant directed shows at the Atlantic Theater Co., Old Globe Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Center Theatre Group and the recent revival of Speed the Plow on Broadway last season. He has received a Drama League
Fellowship, various Dallas/Fort Worth Critics awards and a TCG New Generations grant. Jaime currently works on the artistic staff of the Atlantic Theater Company in New York. He received his MFA in Directing at the University of Texas at Austin.
AMERICAN THEATER COMPANY
American Theater Company is an ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" We provide a truly intimate home for the community to experience meaningful stories. We foster a nurturing environment for artists to take risks and create essential work.
American Theater Company is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and CityArts II. Additional valuable support is provided by the Alphawood Foundation, the Bruce B. Boyd Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation, and Prince Charitable Trust.
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