FIVE PRESIDENTS By Rick Cleveland Announced At American Blues Theater

American Blues Theater opens its 2019-2020 Season by welcoming home Ensemble member Rick Cleveland with the Chicago Premiere of his play Five Presidents, directed by Ensemble member Marty Higginbotham. Five Presidents runs September 6 - October 19, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont Ave in Chicago. The official press opening is Thursday, September 12, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

There was only one day in history when all five of these U.S. Presidents were in the same room at the same time: the holding room prior to entering the memorial service for President Richard Nixon. Five Presidents is the presentation of this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, as imagined by "The West Wing" and "House of Cards" writer Ensemble member Rick Cleveland.

"Rick Cleveland brilliantly dramatizes this imagined once-in-a-lifetime conversation between five U.S. Presidents - each with personal policies, agendas, and favorite cocktails," notes Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside. "Written during President Barack Obama's tenure, today's 2019 America represents a different political, ideological, and cultural awareness than even four years ago. Cleveland returned to the play with a sharpened pencil and tongue. While we celebrate this Chicago premiere, the manuscript has been a living document for Cleveland. Like the U.S. Constitution, it got amended. We are grateful to Rick for joining us through the rehearsal process."

Five Presidents features John Carter Brown (George H.W. Bush), James Leaming* (Ronald Reagan), Martin L'Herault (Jimmy Carter), Tom McElroy (Gerald Ford), Stephen Spencer (Bill Clinton), and Denzel Tsopnang* (Agent Kirby).

The creative team includes Grant Sabin* (scenic design), Alexander Ridgers* (lighting design), Michael Alan Stein (costume designer), Warren Levon* (sound design), Mary O'Dowd (props design), and Shandee Vaughan* (stage & production manager).

*Ensemble & Artistic Affiliates of American Blues Theater

Buy online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by calling 773.654.3103.

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