Mercy Street Theatre Company Announces 2016/17 Season

Mercy Street Theatre Company is proud to announce its 2016/2017 season featuring a slate of new plays written by its Chicago based ensemble to play on its main stage and within its brand new reading and workshop series: Beacon. For more information, please visit http://www.mercystreettheatre.org/

Merry Christmas, Mulch Pile!
The hit holiday radio play returns!

Written by Resident Playwright Dakota Parobek
Directed by Associate Artistic Director Jake Fruend

December 8 - 11

Chicago Actors Studio, 2040 N. Elston Ave.

Schedule: Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Tickets: Student/Industry: $10; Regular: $15

In the world of Mulch Pile, Santa Claus has quit his job, run away, and decided to live under a bridge in suburban America. He befriends Laura, a young transgender woman struggling to be accepted by her family. Staged as a classic holiday radio play, this moving and madcap adventure follows two best friends as they search for the thing between selfish and selfless.

"Last year's production prompted an incredible dialogue with our audience about trans identity and acceptance. The opportunity to dive back into Dakota's poetry and bring this beautiful story back to life is a Christmas wish come true," says Jake Fruend, associate artistic director.

The cast will feature Nicholas Caeser, Alexia Jasmene, Annelise Dickinson, Andrew Clancey, Sonja Lynn Mata, Ian Michael James, Kelsey Wang, Samantha Nava, Heather Branham Green and Clint Worthington. The production team will include Amanda Gustafsson, Alaina Moore, Christopher Semel, Slick Jorgensen and Camille Smith. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2711431

Luz Estrada

World Premiere

Based on the classic Lysistrata by Aristophanes

Written by Resident Playwright DusTy Wilson

Directed by Artistic Director Julia Rohed

Summer 2017

Location and exact dates to be announced

A modern day adaptation of Aristophanes' Lysistrata set in the cartel wars of northern Mexico. After learning of her family's murder by the local cartel leader, Luz Estrada volunteers for her town's long vacant position of sheriff. With her new authority, she enlists the citizens of her town to fight a war against the drug lord that destroyed everything they held dear.

"Dusty's adaptation doesn't just give us a modern retelling of Lysistrata; by re-framing it in a startlingly contemporary context, we can explore the ways in which young people, particularly women, can take direct action to combat the injustices they see around them. Through this updating of Aristophanes' epic tale of female empowerment, we see what it takes to stand up to a violent, antagonistic world that has surprising parallels to our own," says Julia Rohed, artistic director.

Beacon: Readings & Workshops

Brand new monthly reading and workshop series from the Mercy Street Ensemble

Once a month January - May 2017

Location and exact dates to be announced

Beacon is Mercy Street's direct line to the bold new work of our resident playwrights. Consisting of one night play readings or workshops each month, the series will be featuring Pigs by Dakota Parobek, Fast in Fire by EJC Calvert, White Thorn of Color by Sonja Lynn Mata, Escape by Rachel DuBose and Andorra by Ian Michael James. The directors for the series will include Will Quam, Mara Stern, Ben Kaye, Sophie Blumberg and Jake Fruend.

"With this series we hope to expose our audience to new work from our playwrights and provide an opportunity for our writers to receive valuable feedback that they can then utilize. It also serves as an opportunity for young directors here in Chicago be able to practice their craft and to get their feet wet in the new play development process," says Danielle Stack, producing director.

About Mercy Street Theatre Company

Mercy Street Theatre Company (Julia Rohed, Artistic Director; Danielle Stack, Producing Director; Jake Fruend, Associate Artistic Director) is an ensemble driven theatre dedicated to telling stories that examine the modern myth; stories of everyday interaction with the epic, iconic and divine. Mercy Street seeks to produce work that transcends the familiar by bringing the spectacular to life on stage, and scrutinizes the orthodox by putting key ideas and events of our world on display. By providing stories from unfamiliar places, cultures and times, MSTC aims to cultivate unity. Finally, MSTC strives to bring the house down by presenting an entertaining theatrical experience.

Mercy Street Theatre Company is proud to announce its 2016/2017 season featuring a slate of new plays written by its Chicago based ensemble to play on its main stage and within its brand new reading and workshop series Beacon. For more information, please visit http://www.mercystreettheatre.org/

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