Raven Theatre and Vault 13 present Black and Blue, Now thru July 28

Raven Theatre and Vault 13 Productions have teamed up to bring back the wildly popular Black and Blue. Opening night is tonight, June 14th at 8:00 p.m. at The West Stage at the Raven Theatre Complex, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in Raven's lobby sponsored by The Pumping Company Restaurant. Tickets and information are available at www.raventheatre.com or 773-338-2177.

Black and Blue follows the lives of Jake and Tommy, two brothers who are divided - one is a diehard Cubs fan; the other is a diehard White Sox fan. As the play opens in their father's bar in 1997 on the day that the Cubs and Sox begin interleague play, a bet is made...who will win more games over ten years: the Cubs or the Sox? Not merely a play about baseball, it's about how we change over the years, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Black and Blue explores the intricate relationships between family and friends, yet also reveals the thin line between being a fan and becoming a fanatic.

Anthony Tournis (Writer) Black and Blue is Anthony's first full length play. It was written as a reflection of growing up in the Chicagoland area and seeing the rift that professional sports can cause, even in families.

Nick Digilio (Co-writer/Director) Nick is thrilled to be back at the helm for this remount of Black and Blue. Nick spent 14 years with The Factory Theater (7 of them as Artistic Director) where he wrote, directed, and/or appeared in over 30 shows including: Alive, White Trash Wedding and a Funeral, The Vinyl Shop, Here Come a Regular, Toast of the Town and many, many others. He has also worked with The Hypocrites, where he directed David Mamet's Lakeboat and appeared in Jack or the Submission, Curse of the Starving Class and Rhinoceros. He also directedCongratulations for Not Killing Anyone, and Occupation for Studio 108. He grew up about 6 blocks from Wrigley Field and also currently hosts "The Nick Digilio Show" on WGN Radio (720 AM) where he discusses pop culture, current events, all things Chicago, and other hot topics.

The cast of Black and Blue includes: Anthony Tournis (Jake), Artistic Director of Vault 13 Productions and a Factory Theater member who has recently performed with Raven Theatre; Greg Caldwell (Tommy), who is a Raven ensemble member where he has been seen in Death of a Salesman, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, A Streetcar Named Desire and A View From The Bridge; Stacie Barra (Liz), is a Co-Artistic Director of Vault 13 Productions and a Factory Theater member. She has worked with Griffin Theater, Raven Theatre, Lifeline, Strangeloop, and was recently seen in Street Tempo's production of LaRonde; Ernie Deak (Sonny), a member of Factory Theater where he has recently been seen in Toast of the Town which he also co-wrote; John Moran (Mickey), who is a Factory Theatre member where he has been seen in Ren Faire!:A Fistful of Ducats and Black and Blue and has worked with Strawdog, A Red Orchid, Writer's Theater, Griffin, Hypocrites and many others;Zach Bloomfield (Milt), who was originally in Black and Blue and is a professor at Joliet Junior College; Eamonn McDonagh (Cassell), who has worked with Goodman, Steppenwolf, Griffin, and many others; Dennis Schnell (Bar Fly, Nick), recently seen in Toast of the Town and has worked with Circle Theatre, Chemically Imbalanced Theater, National Pastime, Gorilla Tango, and many more; Jack Bourgeois (Blake, Chris, Cubs Fan), co-founder and board member of Cold Basement Dramatics, for whom he has written and directed several new plays over the past few years, including last summer's Antigone and was last seen in Street Tempo Theatre's F**king Men; James Errico (Poser), a company member of The Broken Compass Theater ensemble where he originated the character of Ben in The Bloody Romantic and performed the role of Elliot in the North American premiere of Philip Ridley's Mercury Fur (Chicago Tribune Best of Year); Robyn Coffin (Heidi, Trivia Maven), an ensemble member of The Factory Theater and who has worked with Fine Print, Infamous Commonwealth, Redmoon, Open Eye, Serendipity Theatre Collective, Silent Theatre and Prop Theatre Productions, and NBC's Chicago Fire, as Cindy Herrmann; Lauren Bourke (Hot Girl, Andrea, Trivia Maven), whose credits include La Ronde at Stage 773, Our Last Night on Earth with Collaboraction, Red Tape Theatre's Fresh Eyes Project, Johnny Theatre at Chemically Imbalanced Theater, and 'Rebecca' in the web series Not Suitable for Children; Daniel Planz(Toadie, Ray), credits include La Ronde and F**king Men with Street Tempo Theatre, Echoes Of the War with Rendition Theatre, and Thirst with Cold Basement Dramatics; Kyle Hintz (Toadie, Bar Fly, Sox Fan), is a recent transplant to Chicago.

The Black and Blue staff includes: Anthony Tournis (Set Design), Shannon Evans(Lighting Designer), Stacie Barra (Costume Designer), Chas Vrba (Sound Designer), and Jermaine Edward Thomas serves as Stage Manager.

Vault 13 Productions

Inspired by the success of Black and Blue's first run in 2011, Vault 13 Productions was born. The goal of Vault 13 is to bring entertaining and thought provoking stories that leave a lasting impression about the human condition.

Raven Theatre

Raven Theatre is dedicated to performing arts that illuminate the American experienceand work that provides reflection on our identity in a global context. Through its ensemble produced plays, collaborations with outside artists and organizations and its educational programming, Raven is committed to serving our community's needs through the arts.

Raven Theatre Company is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, Polk Bros. Foundation, Yates-Feldman Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Alphawood Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, S & C Electric Company, Jamerson & Bauwens Electrical Contractors, Inc., City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, The Allstate Foundation, The Chicago Community Foundation, The Ream Foundation, James S. Kemper Foundation, The Kinder Morgan Foundation, The Pauls Foundation, The Saints, and Dramatists Guild Fund.

Tickets/information: www.raventheatre.com or 773-338-2177

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