Rescripted Announces Second Session Of The Key: Young Critics Mentorship Program

Rescripted is thrilled to announce the second session of The Key: Young Critics Mentorship Program, beginning September 18 and hosted this year at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. Regina Victor, founder of the online arts journalism platform Rescripted and entertainment critic Oliver Sava, created the 10-week training program for Chicago youth in arts criticism. In league with The Chicago Inclusion Project, The Key successfully launched last year at Greenhouse Theater Center with its first group of young writers learning the skills and industry knowledge needed to pursue careers in arts criticism.

Each biweekly meeting of The Key features review workshops, mentor lectures and guest speakers from different areas of the local arts community. The Key students also attend performances in Chicago and use these experiences to hone their reviewing skills. In its inaugural session, The Key reviewed productions from Steppenwolf Theater, Shattered Globe Theatre, First Floor Theater, Firebrand Theatre and TimeLine Theatre. Guest speakers included writer/producer Aaron Carter (Steppenwolf Theatre), playwright Ike Holter (Jackalope Theatre, Goodman Theatre), editors Tasha Robinson (The Verge) and Genevieve Koski (Vox.com), and theater critics Chris Jones (Chicago Tribune), Kerry Reid (Chicago Tribune), Kris Vire (Time Out Chicago) and Loy Webb (Newcity).

Applications for The Key: Young Critics Mentorship Program are currently being accepted on Rescripted's website (rescripted.org/the-key/) through Monday, Sept. 10 for young writers ages 16 - 23 years old . The session begins Tuesday, Sept. 18 and meets every other Tuesday through November 27. For additional information and inquiries, please e-mail thekey.chicago@gmail.com, and you may follow The Key on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

"Working with The Key has not only helped me find my artistic voice through detailed analysis but they've also given me lifetime connections. I will forever write with forgiveness." said The Key alumnus and Rescripted Reviewer Logan McCullom.

"There is great value in training a wide range of young critical voices that can be a part of the artistic community instead of speaking at them," says Regina Victor, founder of Rescripted. "Criticism is a conversation between artist and audience, and Rescripted was founded on the principle that a critic could show empathy and still utilize critical thinking skills. The way that we speak to each other has drastically changed and we no longer know how to critique or dislike without hate. Oliver and I come from very different critical backgrounds, and because of this we are the perfect blend of co-facilitators to ensure these students learn the tools of traditional criticism, as well as cultivate the empathy needed to write our way into a better world."

"Our first session was an inspiring experience, highlighting the immense value of underrepresented perspective in the arts criticism conversation," added Oliver Sava. "These young writers are clever, passionate, and eager to learn more about this field, and it's been a pleasure helping them hone their skills and learn that a review is much more than a consumer report. It's a historical document of an ephemeral, one-of-a-kind experience, and their reviews keep a production alive after performances end."

"It is essential that the next generation of critics grows with the community's rapidly changing landscape," said Chicago Inclusion Project Founder Emjoy Gavino. "Regina and Oliver both have their finger on the pulse and I can't wait to see how the students will flourish under their mentorship. Our industry needs these new voices."

ABOUT Regina Victor

Regina Victor (they/them/theirs) is an arts journalist, director, dramaturg, producer and performer. Their writing can be found in Howlround, American Theatre Magazine, The Windy City Times and, of course, on Rescripted, the arts journalism platform they founded in 2017. As an artist, Victor has secured a number of prestigious appointments and fellowships including the SDCF Observership 17/18 class, the Victory Gardens Director's Inclusion Initiative, and most recently was an Artistic Fellow at Steppenwolf Theatre. Recent credits include The Roommate at Steppenwolf Theatre, Breach at Victory Gardens, and To Catch a Fish at Timeline Theatre. Victor is also available for panels and workshops, learn more at: www.reginavictor.com.

ABOUT RESCRIPTED

Rescripted is a collective of theatre professionals from all levels and disciplines in the field who are interested in engaging with their peers on a critical level. Founded by Regina Victor and Katherine O'Keefe and based in the Chicago theatre community, Rescripted is a response to the national shortage of theatre critics and the need for a broader range of voices in the critical sphere. Rescripted publishes reviews, artist interviews and essays on the performing arts. Rescripted aims to reprogram the way we critically engage with each other while cultivating critics and adding new voices to the field. www.rescripted.org.

ABOUT OLIVER SAVA

Oliver Sava (he/him/his) is a Chicago-based entertainment writer focusing on comic books, dance, television and theater. He was a staff theater writer at Time Out Chicago, where he had a "Performer Of The Week" interview column. His writing on comic books, film, podcasts, television, and theater has been published at The A.V Club, Chicago Theater Beat, Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, Entertainment Weekly, The L.A. Times, NPR Books, Rolling Stone, Vulture, VICE and Vox. He is a 2017 fellow of The Eugene O'Neill Center's National Critics Institute and a recipient of the 2017 Eisner Award for "Best Comics-Related Journalism/Periodical" for his A.V. Club writing. He graduated from Loyola University with degrees in English and Political Science, and was the dramaturg for Jackalope Theatre's Prowess (2017 Jeff Award winner for Best New Play). You can find his writing at www.oliversava.com.

ABOUT CHICAGO INCLUSION PROJECT

Founded by Actor/Casting Director Emjoy Gavino (she/her/hers), The Chicago Inclusion Project is a collective of artists, committed to creating inclusive theater experiences by bringing together Chicago artists and audiences normally separated by ethnic background, economic status, gender identity, physical ability and countless other barriers. By deliberately choosing the unexpected, both in play choices and non-traditional casting, cultivating a diverse audience by bringing new combinations of artists to as many communities in Chicago (and it surrounding suburbs) as possible, choosing facilities for the multiple projects that are handicap accessible and keeping price of tickets affordable, The Chicago Inclusion Project programming aims to unite diverse collections of Chicagoans. For more information, visit thechicagoinclusionproject.org.

Photo: (L to R) Regina Victor (Photo by Gwendolyn Wiegold), Emjoy Gavino of The Chicago Inclusion Project (Photo by Joe Mazza) and Oliver Sava (Photo by Alex Yorkes)

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