Sordid Lives Creator Del Shores To Present New Play & Teach Workshops At Windy City Performs

Windy City Performs, Chicago's fastest-growing professional theatre and school, is pleased to announce its first Guest Artist-in-Residence this fall.

Performer/Creator Del Shores has written, directed and produced successfully across studio and independent film, network and cable television and regional and national touring theatres. Sordid Lives, his fourth play, opened in Los Angeles in 1996 and ran 13 sold-out months. The play went on to win 14 Drama-Logue Theatre Awards, including three for Shores for writing, directing and producing. There have since been over 300 additional stage productions of the play. In 1999, Shores wrote and directed the film version of Sordid Lives starring Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Olivia Newton-John, Bonnie Bedelia, Leslie Jordan and Beth Grant along with most of the cast from the play. Opening in only eight theatres across the country, the little film that could took in nearly two million dollars in its limited release. The movie became a cult phenomenon and became the longest running film in the history of Palm Springs with record ninety-six weeks. Del Shores calls Dallas his home away from home. All his plays have been produced in and around the Metroplex, with Uptown Players giving him a Dallas theatre home for many years. His movie A Very Sordid Wedding was also mostly filmed in DFW. His standup shows have all been performed at The Rose Room, two of them filmed there.

Shores will perform his new play, SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A PLAY the weekends of September 15-16 and 22-23 at the Playhouse @ Jefferson Park, WCP's performance home. During the week, he will teach three workshops designed for youth & teens, college-age artists, and professional, working actors, directors & writers.

In Six Characters In Search Of A Play, riffing on Pirandello's classic title, Shores brings to life six one-of-a-kind characters he has met in real life that haven't quite made it into one of his plays, films or TV shows. In 90 minutes, the audience will hear the truth behind how he collected these eccentrics and their stories as he portrays his hilarious, off-the-rails encounters with them. The play is performed by Mr. Shores. Emerson Collins, director.

DATES & TIMES:

• Saturday, September 15 @ 3pm & 7pm
• Sunday, September 16 @ 3pm & 7pm
• Saturday, September 22 @ 3pm & 7pm
• Sunday, September 23 @ 3pm & 7pm

LOCATION: 4766 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago 60630.

TICKETS: $25 regular; $25 Premium seats, with a Del Shores meet & greet after the performance.

BUY ONLINE: http://windycityperforms.simpletix.com/Event-List/

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS: There will be three workshops, as follows:

ON-CAMERA AUDITION WORKSHOP - 1 SESSION

• DATE: Monday, September 17, 2018
• TIME: 6pm-9:30pm
• LOCATION: The Playhouse @ Jefferson Park, 4766 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL 60630
• OPEN TO: Ages 14 & up; working actors, directors, or emerging artists.
• ENROLL HERE: http://windycityperforms.simpletix.com/Event-List/

SCENE STUDY WORKSHOP

• DATE: Tuesday & Wednesday, September 18 & 19, 2018 . (must commit to both nights)
• TIME: 6pm-9:30pm both nights
• LOCATION: The Playhouse @ Jefferson Park, 4766 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL 60630
• OPEN TO: Ages 16 & up; working actors, directors, or emerging artists.
• ENROLL HERE: http://windycityperforms.simpletix.com/Event-List/

WRITING FROM THE ACTOR'S POINT OF VIEW

• DATE: Thursday, September 20, 2018
• TIME: 6pm-9:30pm
• LOCATION: The Playhouse @ Jefferson Park, 4766 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL 60630
• OPEN TO: Ages 16 & up; working actors, directors, or emerging artists.
• ENROLL HERE: http://windycityperforms.simpletix.com/Event-List/

Windy City Performs is Chicago's fastest growing professional theatre and performing arts school. Founded as Youth Company Chicago, the Company has grown from seven students and a rehearsal studio in 2012, to now serving over 1500 students each year, and performing for thousands and thousands of audience members. The Company renovated a 100-year-old movie theatre in 2016, and now calls the Playhouse @ Jefferson Park, its permanent performance home.

THE CONSERVATORY: Our Conservatory staff believe that kids have the ability to command their own audiences. Our programs give experienced and developing students, from toddler to teen, the opportunity to participate in high-quality, fully-produced musical theatre pieces, as well as skills-based classes in music and dance. We have partnerships with nearly 20 public and private schools to bring our high-quality programs, including semi-produced performances, right to their schools.

In our programs, aspiring young performers work with some of the best directors, choreographers, and designers in Chicagoland. Cast members of Conservatory productions receive ongoing training in acting, voice and movement during the rehearsal period. And what they take from our programs is so much more - personal and interpersonal skills, and friendships - that will last a lifetime.

PROFESSIONAL MAINSTAGE SHOWS: Our Professional season features some of Chicago's most dynamic professional actors, as well as auditioned youth and teens. We specialize in presenting big, high-quality, family-friendly musicals in a small, intimate space. The next professional show is Shrek the Musical in August 2018. The 2018-19 season will be announced around May 1.

For more information about Windy City Performs, visit our website: www.windycityperforms.org

INDIANA CAMPUS: In 2018, WCP opened a sister campus, offering youth and teen performances programs, in Michigan City's robust Uptown Arts District, at its newly-acquired space, 906 Franklin Square. (www.indianaperforms.org)

To post a comment, you must register and login.