Court Theatre Presents THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS

Court Theatre - under the continuing leadership of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, and Angel Ysaguirre, Executive Director - will present the fourth and final production of its 2022/23 season: The Gospel at Colonus.

Conceived and adapted by Lee Beuer with music composed by Bob Telson, this exuberant, celebratory musical will be directed by Mark J.P. Hood and Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell, with Associate Director TaRon Patton and Associate Music Director Mahmoud Khan. The Gospel at Colonus runs May 12 - June 11, 2023 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. The press opening is Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 7:30pm.

The cast of The Gospel at Colonus includes Kelvin Roston Jr. (Oedipus); Aeriel Williams (Antigone); Timothy Edward Kane (Creon); Ariana Burks (Ismene); Mark Spates Smith (Theseus); Kai A. Ealy (Polyneices); Shari Addison (Choragos, Soloist); Eric A. Lewis(Choragos); Juwon Tyrel Perry (The Friend, Chorus); Jessica Brooke Seals (Evangelist, Chorus); Jerica Exum (Chorus); Shantina Lynet' (Chorus); Isaac Ray (Chorus); Eva Ruwé (Chorus); and Cherise Thomas (Chorus).

The music team includes Director Mark J.P. Hood (Music Director); Mahmoud Khan (Associate Music Director, Conductor, Keyboard, Organist); Joshua Griffin (Bass Guitar, Music Programmer, Playback Engineer); Amr Fahmy (Keyboard); Oscar Brown, Jr. (Lead Guitar); and Leonard Maddox Jr. (Drums).

The creative team includes John Culbert (Scenic Design); Raquel Adorno (Costume Design); Keith Parham (Lighting Design); Sarah Ramos (Sound Design); Cristin Carole (Movement Design); Wenke (Coco) Huang (Production Dramaturg); Gabrielle Randle-Bent (Oedipus Trilogy Dramaturg); Becca McCracken (Casting); Kate Ocker (Production Stage Manager); and Natalie Cohen (Assistant Stage Manager).

Soulful and stirring, this one-of-a-kind theatrical event breathes new life into the Oedipus myth with a score of powerful gospel music. A bold collaboration from an extraordinary team led by Mark J.P. Hood and Charles Newell, The Gospel at Colonus builds upon the strengths and experiences of its artists to bring this redemptive musical celebration to life on Chicago's South Side.

"This is a play I have held in my heart for almost forty years," says Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell. "And, for a project that I thought I knew for all this time, Mark J.P. Hood has shown me things that I had never seen before. His generosity and his willingness to share his deep, profound knowledge of gospel music has allowed us to make something that neither one of us could create on our own. Much like the journey of Oedipus to Colonus, this production has been the journey of a lifetime, and it is my honor to share The Gospel at Colonus with audiences."

Director Mark J.P. Hood elaborates: "As a Chicago native who now resides in Los Angeles, I'm glad to be doing this show here because Chicago is so rich in gospel culture. Gospel, as a genre, is expansive and in this production, I want to show that range and pay tribute to all generations of gospel music. The music itself is a form of inspiration, and you will leave this production uplifted. This is a show of possibilities. It doesn't matter who you worship to, or if you worship at all - it's all possible here."

The Gospel at Colonus is based on an adaptation of Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus in the version by Robert Fitzgerald, and incorporating passages from both Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Antigone in the versions by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, which are published as The Oedipus Cycle of Sophocles, a Harvest/HBJ Book, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.

Individual tickets are on sale now. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online at CourtTheatre.org.

The Gospel at Colonus is sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and Gustavo Bamberger and Martha Van Haitsma. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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