Casting Announced for 14th Annual 'New Stages' Festival at Goodman Theatre

Casting is complete for the three "developmental productions" featured in Goodman Theatre's 14th annual New Stages festival - a free celebration of new works by some of the country's finest established and emerging playwrights.

These three plays, which are staged in repertory following two weeks of rehearsal, include Lottery Day by Ike Holter, directed by Lili-Anne Brown; Continuity by Bess Wohl, directed by Annie Tippe; and Twilight Bowl by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Erica Weiss. Developmental productions are designed by Kevin Depinet (Set), Noël Huntzinger (Costumes for Lottery Day and Twilight Bowl), Birgit Rattenborg Wise (Costumes for Continuity), Jesse Klug (Lights) and Richard Woodbury (Sound).

New Stages runs September 20 - October 8 in the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre; to reserve FREE tickets, call 312.443.3800, visit GoodmanTheatre.org/NewStagesFestival or the box office (170 N. Dearborn). For more information about "Industry Professionals Weekend," visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Professionals.

In addition, four one-time-only staged readings and a first look at an immersive work-in-progress appear during the final weekend of the festival ("Professionals Weekend"), including How to Catch Creation by Christina Anderson, directed by Jess McLeod (October 6 at 10:30am); Eden Prairie, 1971 by Mat Smart, directed by Henry Wishcamper (October 6 at 2pm); a preview presentation of POSTNATION by Mikhael Tara Garver (October 6 at 4:30pm); The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona written and directed by José Rivera (October 7 at 10am); and We're Only Alive for A Short Amount of Time by David Cale, music by Matthew Dean Marsh and directed by Tony Speciale (October 7 at 2pm).

Since New Stages' 2004 inception, more than 70 plays have been produced as a developmental production or staged reading. Nearly half of these plays were authored by playwrights of color and/or authored by female playwrights. More than one-third of all plays developed in New Stages have received a world premiere production at the Goodman or another leading U.S. theater. The Goodman's 2017/2018 Season features the world premiere of Ellen Fairey's Support Group for Men, which originated in New Stages in 2016. The Goodman's immediate past season featured acclaimed works that began at the festival: The Magic Play by Andrew Hinderaker, King of the Yees by Lauren Yee and Objects in the Mirror by Charles Smith.

The Goodman is grateful for the generosity of its New Work sponsors, including: the Time Warner Foundation, Lead Support of New Play Development; The Pritzker-Pucker Foundation, Major Support of New Play Development; The Glasser and Rosenthal Family and the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Support of New Work Development; and The Joyce Foundation, Principal Support for Diverse Artistic and Professional Development.

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Casting for 2017 New Stages Festival Developmental Productions:

Lottery Day

By Ike Holter, directed by Lili-Anne Brown

Appears in repertory, September 20 - October 7

In his latest play, acclaimed Chicago playwright Ike Holter integrates characters from his past works into a new story about the cost of belonging and the gift of community.

When an act of violence robs Mallory of her family, she creates a new one by opening her home to a wild array of neighbors, activists and artists. Tonight, she's throwing them a party of her own invention-"Lottery Day"-where anyone could win, but everyone has something to lose.

CAST:

Aurora Adachi-Winter...............Tori

Bear Bellinger.........................Nunley

J. Nicole Brooks......................Mallory

McKenzie Chinn.......................Cassandra

Sydney Charles.......................Zora

Robert Cornelius......................Robinson

Anthony Irons..........................Avery

Monica Orozco........................Vivien

Tommy Rivera-Vega.................Ezekiel

Pat Whalen.............................Ricky

Continuity

By Bess Wohl, directed by Annie Tippe

Appears in repertory, September 22 - October 8

Bess Wohl's startlingly funny new play examines what is worth saving and what isn't-especially when facing the end of the world.

As her big budget thriller about climate change and eco-terrorism falls behind schedule, film director Maria attempts to salvage the production from the behind-the-scenes drama of its cast and screenwriter.

CAST:

Rammel Chan.........................The PA

Amanda Drinkall.....................Nicole (Eve)

Marc Grapey..........................David Claxton

Ryan McBride........................Jake (George)

Bill McGough.........................Larry

Rebecca Spence.....................Maria

Netta Walker..........................Lily (Anna)

*This production also features voice-over roles portrayed by McKenzie Chinn (Second AD), Robert Cornelius (Sound Guy), Anthony Irons (Camera OP), Pat Whalen (First AD) and Aurora Adachi-Winter (2nd PA).

Twilight Bowl

By Rebecca Gilman, directed by Erica Weiss

Appears in repertory, September 24 - October 8

In her latest play, Goodman Artistic Associate Rebecca Gilman depicts six young women about to embark on their adult lives. But how do they-or we-define success?

Cousins Sam and Jaycee grew up together in a small Wisconsin town. Sam, who sharpened her bowling skills at the local alley, is now heading to college on scholarship. But Jaycee's future isn't looking so bright. As the young women and their friends face adulthood, the alley becomes a place to celebrate, mourn, and forge new identities. But can their bonds survive as their paths diverge? And is success always earned, or is it sometimes a matter of luck?

CAST:

Hayley Burgess.....................Clarice

Heather Chrisler....................Jaycee

Angela Morris........................Maddy

Becca Savoy.........................Sam

Mary Taylor...........................Brielle

Anne E. Thompson................Sharlene

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Goodman Theatre is a premier not-for-profit organization distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Led by Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, the theater's artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres in the past three decades), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics (celebrated revivals include Falls' productions of Death of a Salesman and The Iceman Cometh). Goodman Theatre artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards, over 160 Jeff Awards and many more accolades. In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson's "American Century Cycle" and its annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this season, has created a new generation of theatergoers. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production partner with local off-Loop theaters and national and international companies by providing financial support or physical space for a variety of artistic endeavors.

Committed to three core values of Quality, Diversity and Community, the Goodman proactively makes inclusion the fabric of the institution and develops education and community engagement programs that support arts as education. This practice uses the process of artistic creation to inspire and empower youth, lifelong learners and audiences to find and/or enhance their voices, stories and abilities. The Goodman's Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of such programming, most offered free of charge, and has vastly expanded the theater's ability to touch the lives of Chicagoland citizens (with 85% of youth participants coming from underserved communities) since its 2016 opening.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago's cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family's legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth's family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, ReGina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. David W. Fox, Jr. is Chair of Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees, Cynthia K. Scholl is Women's Board President and Justin A. Kulovsek is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

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