Griffin Theatre to Explore the Immigrant Experience with IN TO AMERICA Premiere

Griffin Theatre Company will continue its 2016-17 Season, an exploration of the American Dream, with the world premiere of IN TO AMERICA, a 400-year journey through the immigrant experience, written by Artistic Director Bill Massolia (Letters Home) and directed by Dorothy Milne.

IN TO AMERICA will play March 18 - April 23, 2017 at The Den Theatre's Heath Main Stage, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.griffintheatre.com or by calling (866) 811-4111. The press opening is Sunday, March 26 at 3 pm.

The cast of IN TO AMERICA includes Juanita Andersen, Katie Campbell, Jennifer Cheung, Aneisa Hicks, Christopher W. Jones, FranCisco Lopez, Adam Marcantoni, Sean McGill, Rasika Ranganathan, Omer Abbas Salem, Scott Shimizu, Jason VonRohn and Elizabeth H. Williams.

IN TO AMERICA is a world premiere drama that traces the American immigrant experience from Jamestown to present day through the stories of ordinary men, women and children who departed their homelands in the hopes of creating a new life. The play features more than 60 personal immigrant narratives representing more than 30 countries to tell America's multicultural story. An extraordinary story 400 years in the making that transcends time, space and race to reflect the diversity and commonalities of our shared American experience.

Artist Director William Massolia comments, "IN TO AMERICA owes a great deal of its inspiration from my own families immigrant roots and from Ronald Takaki's award-winning book A Different Mirror, where he states so eloquently, 'In the making of multicultural America, the continent's original inhabitants were joined by people pushed from their homelands by poverty and persecution in Asia, Latin America and Europe, and pulled here by extravagant dreams. Others came here in chains from Africa, and still others fled here as refugees from countries like Vietnam and Afghanistan. And all of them belonged to the great migrations that made the American people. These men and women might not have read John Locke, but they came to believe that 'in the beginning all the world was America.' They envisioned the emerging country as a place for a bold new start. Crossing borders not delineated by space, they broke the 'cake of custom' as they transcended traditional fixed points of classification. Marginalized and degraded as the 'Other' minorities came to believe even more fiercely and fervently than did the founding fathers in the 'self-evident truths' that 'all men are created equal,' entitled to the 'unalienable Rights' of 'Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.'"

The production team for IN TO AMERICA includes: Joe Schermoly (set design), Rachel Sypniewski (costume design), Lee Fiskness (lighting design), Stephen Ptacek (sound design), Brock Alter (projections design), Adam Goldstein (dialect coach), Catherine Allen (production manager), Kelly Parker (casting director) and Jason Crutchfield (stage manager).

Bill Massolia (Playwright) is a founding member of the Griffin Theatre Company. He is the author of over 30 plays and adaptations including, Be More Chill, Little Brother, Stardust, Loving Little Egypt, Shakespeare's Dog and Ghosts of War. His play Letters Home has been seen in more than 85 cities throughout the United States and his children's play, Frindle was presented in 50 U.S. cities since 2009. Massolia is a seven-time Joseph Jefferson Award nominee for his work as a playwright. A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Mr. Massolia is a past member of the League of Chicago Theatre's Board of Directors, the theater advisory panel for the Illinois Arts Council and a recipient of an IAC Playwriting Fellowship Award. He is currently on the board of the International Performing Arts for Youth organization.

Dorothy Milne (Director) returns to Griffin Theatre, where she has previously directed Little Brother, Stardust and No More Dead Dogs. She is an ensemble member of Lifeline Theatre, where she also serves as Artistic Director. She has directed over twenty productions at Lifeline, receiving a Non-Equity Jeff Award (Direction) for Around the World in 80 Days in 2003; and non-Equity Jeff Nominations (Direction) for Pistols for Two, Jane Eyre (for which she also received an After Dark Award), Strong Poison and Gaudy Night. Previously, she received an Equity Jeff Nomination for her direction of Eleemosynary at Interplay Theatre Company. Dorothy is also involved in the Chicago storytelling scene: she has been writing and performing with the storytelling collective Sweat Girls for over 20 years, directs occasionally for 2nd Story and at Lifeline leads The Lifeline Storytelling Project and co-curates The Fillet of Solo Festival.

Established in 1988 and celebrating its 29th season, the mission of the Griffin Theatre Company is to create extraordinary and meaningful theatrical experiences for both children and adults by building bridges of understanding between generations that instill in its audience an appreciation of the performing arts. Through artistic collaboration the Griffin Theatre Company produces literary adaptations, original work and classic plays that challenge and inspire, with wit, style and compassion for the audience.

The Griffin Theatre Company is the recipient of 113 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for theater excellence in Chicago. The Griffin was the repeat winner of the 2016 Jeff Award for "Best Production of a Play" for London Wall having won the same award in 2015 for its production of Men Should Weep.

For additional information, visit www.griffintheatre.com.

Pictured: (top) Juanita Andersen, Katie Campbell, Jennifer Cheung, Aneisa Hicks; (2nd row) Christopher W. Jones, FranCisco Lopez, Adam Marcantoni, Sean McGill, Rasika Ranganathan; (bottom) Omer Abbas Salem, Scott Shimizu, Jason VonRohn and Elizabeth H. Williams.

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