Chicago Slam Works to Premiere HAVE A GREAT SUMMER at Stage773, 5/1

The Chicago Slam Works House Ensemble closes its debut season with the World Premiere of "Have a Great Summer", an interdisciplinary, poetry-forward evening of theater written and performed by the cast, opening May 1 at Stage773, 1225 W. Belmont.

Each Chicago Slam Works performance is inspired by a common theme and "Have a Great Summer" explores the awkward and sometimes funny adolescence years. The House Ensemble collaboratively writes the pieces which connect different disciplinaries including comedy, movement, spoken word and music. Chicago Slam Works artistic director J.W. Basilo directs and serves as lead writer.

"Have a Great Summer" runs every Friday, May 1 to June 5 at 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.Stage773.com. For additional information visit www.ChicagoSlamWorks.com.

"This interdisciplinary theater piece acts as a living yearbook," Basilo said, "reflecting upon the universal hilarity, awkwardness, and God-awful embarrassment of adolescence. For 'Have a Great Summer', this talented ensemble explores their painfully true histories. Some even wondering, as they slog through adulthood, if anything has ever really changed."

Like the successful productions of "One Day When We Are All Robots"(August 2014) and "Redlined" (February 2015), "Have a Great Summer" incorporates spoken word, music, movement, and sketch comedy into a theater experience that is unique, funny, poignant, and truly unlike anything else happening Chicago's poetry or theater landscape. Basilo is the ensemble director and lead writer.

The Chicago Slam Works House Ensemble members who collaborated on "Have a Great Summer" include: J. Evelyn (Actor, Movement Artist), Shelley Elaine Geiszler (Poet/Actor), Rashaad Hall (Actor), TJ Medel (Actor/Poet), Frankiem Mitchell (Poet), Angela Oliver (Actor/Poet), Dru Smith (Actor/Hip Hop Artist), and Teagan Walsh-Davis (Actor/Poet).

Chicago Slam Works strives to build upon Chicago's unique heritage as the birthplace of modern performance poetry by empowering students, poets, and arts organizations toward the advancement of the art form. Slam poetry began in Chicago's gritty speakeasy scene at the Green Mill lounge, by Marc Kelly Smith in 1986. The poetry slam was a catalyst of modern performance poetry which has since spread around the world. Due to the growth and enthusiastic response slam poetry has received worldwide, Chicago Slam Works was created. The Chicago Slam Works' staff and founding members are pillars of the international poetry slam movement and the organizational force behind dozens of major poetry events all over the world.

Chicago Slam Works World Premiere of "Have a Great Summer" opens Friday, May 1 at 8:15 p.m and runs every Friday to June 5 at Stage773, 1225 W. Belmont. Press night is Friday, May 1. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.Stage773.com. For additional information visit www.ChicagoSlamWorks.com.

Pictured: Angela Oliver, Rashaad Hall, TJ Medel, Frankiem Mitchell, J. Evelyn. Photo by RJ Eldridge.

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