Goodman Theater To Present Live Streamed Productions Of THE SOUND INSIDE, OHIO STATE MURDERS, & I HATE IT HERE

Technology, videography and stage production come together for the new Live series, Goodman Theatre's next step towards resuming in-person performances. Accessible via multiple video cameras, each performance of three new productions-including two Chicago premieres and a major revival-are streamed live online for real-time consumption by audiences at home.

Artistic Director Robert Falls launches the new series with Adam Rapp's The Sound Inside in its first live production since the acclaimed Broadway run; Adrienne Kennedy's Ohio State Murders appears next, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene in her Goodman debut; and Chicago-based playwright/director duo Ike Holter and Lili-Anne Brown reunite for Holter's newest work, I Hate It Here. Falls tapped Christiana Tye of Christiana Tye Productions and Gabe Hatfield of Hatfield Post/Production as the Goodman's video partner for Live, collaborating with each director to realize the vision of the play for the camera medium.

The Design Team includes Arnel Sancianco (Set), Mieka van de Ploeg (Costumes), Jason Lynch (Lighting), Richard Woodbury (Sound for The Sound Inside), Melanie Chen Cole (Sound for Ohio State Murders), Mikhail Fiskel (Sound for I Hate It Here) and Paul Deziel (Projection Design for I Hate It Here); Briana Fahey is the Production Stage Manager.

The three Live productions each appear in a five-performance limited run: The Sound Inside (May 13 - 16); Ohio State Murders (June 17 - 20) and I Hate It Here (July 15 - 18)-performance times appear below. Tickets are $30 per production or $60 for all three, now available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Live. Live is made possible through the generous support of Northern Trust, Live Major Corporate Sponsor; Katten Muchin Rosenman, Live Corporate Sponsor Partner; and Winston & Strawn, Ohio State Murders Digital Production Sponsor. The Goodman is grateful to its artist union partners, including Actors' Equity Association (AEA); Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC); and United Scenic Artists (USA).

"It's an enormous joy to, at once, produce live theater again and reimagine how we deliver our art form," said Artistic Director Robert Falls, who conceived the Goodman's new series together with his creative team. "Each of these three extraordinary plays has something to say in this moment, realized through the vision of our directors in close creative collaboration with Christiana Tye and her team in a socially-distanced process. We hope that Live is a special, memorable experience for artists and audiences alike as we await the day when in-person performances can safely resume."

"Much more than a simple capture of the play, this project is the innovative melding of cutting-edge technology, videography and stagecraft-from the best way to seamlessly move a three-person camera crew from scene to scene, to how best to realize an ethereal or uncomfortable look," said television producer, writer and director Christiana Tye, whose national and international production experience includes NBC Network News, A&E, PBS and more. "I'm thrilled to partner with the Goodman to engage live audiences around the world."

Falls directs The Sound Inside, Adam Rapp's "sublime, gripping mystery" (The New York Times Critic's Pick) in the play's first live production since the Tony Award-nominated Broadway run-starring Mary Beth Fisher and John Drea. Creative writing professor Bella values her solitude but finds herself opening up to Christopher-a reclusive, mysterious freshman with lofty literary aspirations. As the two connect beyond the classroom, Bella realizes she must ask Christopher for an impossible favor. Their story unfolds to a stunning conclusion, blurring the lines between fiction, friendship and endings. The Sound Inside appears May 13 at 7:30pm; May 14 at 7:30pm; May 15 at 2pm and 7:30pm; and May 16 at 2pm.

"I am thrilled to be working at the Goodman, a theater I've always dreamed of working at, in a city I've always loved," said Tiffany Nichole Greene, acclaimed director of the Hamilton National Tour, who makes her Goodman debut. "To add to this embarrassment of riches, I have the opportunity to direct Ohio State Murders by the incredible Adrienne Kennedy."

In Ohio State Murders, Obie-Award winner Adrienne Kennedy "leads us delicately but intrepidly into an American heart of darkness" (CurtainUp), directed by Greene. When Suzanne arrives at Ohio State University in 1949 as one of a handful of Black freshmen, she discovers the "safe haven" of academia offers little sanctuary. Decades later, the accomplished writer returns to her alma mater to speak about her work-and unravels the heartbreaking truth and chilling mystery of her life lived in the shadows. Ohio State Murders appears June 17 at 7:30pm; June 18 at 7:30pm; June 19 at 2pm and 7:30pm; and June 20 at 2pm.

"I'm really excited to explore how we can lean into this moment, both artistically and technically," said Lili-Anne Brown, whose longtime professional partnership with playwright Ike Holter has realized notable productions of Lottery Day at the Goodman (2019), Put Your House in Order (La Jolla Playhouse) and The Wolf at the End of the Block (16th Street Theatre).

For the Chicago premiere of I Hate It Here, acclaimed playwright-and-director duo Holter and Brown rejoin forces. If there's one thing Americans can agree on, it's that 2020 was not the best way to begin a new decade. With guts and humor, punctuated with story and song, Holter asks who we are in a world on the brink of explosion in this "sharp and satisfyingly foul-mouthed" (The New York Times) rallying cry for our times. I Hate It Here appears July 15 at 7:30pm; July 16 at 7:30pm; July 17 at 2pm and 7:30pm; and July 18 at 2pm.

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