Haven Announces DIRECTOR'S HAVEN 7, Featuring Three Emerging Directors In Fully Staged Productions of Short Plays

Haven will start 2024 programming with its annual Director's Haven, now in its seventh year. Featuring three emerging directors, this Director's Haven 7 gives directors in the earliest stages of their professional careers a rare opportunity to take risks, hone their crafts and talents, and share their vision through a fully staged production of a short play.

Director's Haven 7 will play March 27th - April 10th, 2024 at Haven's resident home, The Den Theatre (Upstairs Mainstage), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are on sale now at havenchi.org.

The 2024 directors announced by Haven are: Leanna Oliveira, directing The Siren Song of Stephen Jay Gould by Benjamin Bettenbender, Gaby Labotka, directing Skyflint, by Cassandra Rose, and Faith Hart, directing Krapp's Last Tape by Samuel Beckett.

Artistic Director Ian Damont Martin comments, "The arts and culture landscape, particularly in the theatre, is one marked by scarcity, especially in terms of dedicated space for emerging creative talent. Director's Haven stands out as a refuge amidst this scarcity, positioned as a program dedicated to nurturing emerging directors. It provides them not just a space, but an ecosystem to practice their craft. This year's selection of directors illustrates the many ways in which creatives are sculpting the future of arts and culture.

The existence of Director's Haven as one of few initiatives of its kind, highlights a broader issue: the sustainability of the arts cannot rely on old models. While this program represents progress, it is a drop in the ocean of untapped creative potential. This raises a critical question - in the absence of such programs, where will the next generation of creative visionaries find their footing? The answer lies in our collective effort to create more inclusive, supportive, and innovative platforms that welcome and foster the growth of emerging directors, storytellers, and creatives. The future of the arts depends on our ability to expand our collective horizon beyond the conventional, ensuring that the next generation of creative voices have the opportunity to be heard and to flourish."

Other production and creative team to date include: Nicole LoCicero (Associate Production Manager), Emma Brutman (Scenic), Katie Novak (Props), Andres Mota (Costume Designer), Jake Sorgen (Sound), Julie Adams (Lighting Designer), Amy Allen (Stage Manager for Skyflint), Kelsey Rich (Stage Manager for Krapp's Last Tape), Hailey Piorek (Stage Manager for The Siren Song of Stephen Jay Gould), Alexis Walker (Casting), Ian Damont Martin (Artistic Director) Angela Salinas (Executive Director), Julia Farrell Diefenbach (Director of Marketing and Social Media).

Director's Haven 7

Directed by: Leanna Oliveira, Gaby Labotka, and Faith Hart

Location: The Den Theatre (Upstairs Mainstage), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Previews March 25 & 26 7pm

Opening performance: Press Opening March 27 at 7pm

Regular run: Sunday March 31st - Sunday, April 10th, 2024

Curtain Times: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 3 pm.

Tickets: Previews: Pay-What-You-Can. Regular: $15

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