Black Female Suicide Survivor Brings Her Story To Steppenwolf's Lookout Series With GET OUT ALIVE

Get Out Alive to debut as part of Steppenwolf's winter LookOut Series. Written & performed by independent artist Nikki Lynette; Directed by Roger Ellis, credits from across the United States, including NYC premiere of Laura Pittenger's Thou Shalt Not.

Get Out Alive is a new autobiographical musical by independent artist, actor, and activist Nikki Lynette. This afrogoth musical is equal parts raucous, tender, intelligent, and triumphant. Using storytelling, song, movement, visual media and a live DJ, Nikki's offbeat approach to sharing her personal mental health journey shows that even when life leads us to a bad place, we can always make it out alive.

The show will make its Chicago debut as part of the LookOut Series - Steppenwolf's performance series that presents the work of artists and companies across genre and form. Get Out Alive will premiere at the 1700 Theatre at Steppenwolf Theatre Company on Jan. 30, 2020, and will run until Feb. 2, 2020. All tickets are $20 and seating is general admission. Tickets can be purchased on the Steppenwolf website.

Recounting her personal journey marked by abuse, grief, sexual assault, and suicide, Lynette raises awareness around mental health all through the lens of a punk/hip hop concert. The first songs from Get Out Alive were performed in 2018, when Lynette opened for Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot. The full piece was later workshopped in a developmental reading produced by the American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University in May 2019. Lynette was the first black woman to have her work developed and produced by AMTP.

A creative powerhouse, Lynette is an indie artist whose style is equal parts hip hop, alternative, and pop. Her music has been featured in popular shows on MTV, Fox, Hulu and Netflix. Since her return to the public eye, she has written articles about mental health, depression, and suicide for prominent black publications, and is currently working on a mental health documentary Happy Songs About Unhappy Things - the inspired product of Lynette's sit-down with renowned director Spike Lee.

Lynette's passion for mental health advocacy stemmed from her own personal experience with PTSD and an anxiety disorder:

"Music that deals with mental health doesn't have to be sad or corny. If these are issues we navigate everyday, then it should be the soundtrack to people's real lives," Lynette said. "When I went into the psyche ward after a suicide attempt, I met all these people with the same issues as me, and they felt alone, too. I told them when I got out, I would use my platform to tell our stories - and I'm keeping my word."

Get Out Alive will be directed and choreographed by Roger Ellis with associate director Rebecca Blaich. The cast includes Keeley Morris, Natalie Renee Savoy, and DJ P1. Production team: Garrett Steinke (Lighting), Chris Owens (Projections), Ziare Paul-Emile (Costume/Hair/Makeup), Gianna Petrosino (Stage Manager). Get Out Alive is produced by Ira Antelis, David H. Bell, and Brannon Bowers with additional production support from the Vanguard Arts Collective

For tickets, visit https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets--events/lookout/1920-winter/get-out-alive/
For more information, visit http://nikkilynette.com/the-play

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