The Chicago Inclusion Project Partners with Writers Theatre, TimeLine & ATC

Chicago Inclusion Project Founder and Producer Emjoy Gavino is pleased to announce a slate of upcoming projects with three Chicagoland theatres.

After last summer's successful launch with a staged reading of William Saroyan's The Time Of Your Life, in partnership with Victory Gardens Theatre and The League of Chicago Theatres, this summer The Chicago Inclusion Project will be collaborating with a pair of acclaimed Chicagoland theatres on two additional staged readings: George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan in partnership with Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL on July 11, 2016 at 7:30pm; and Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) in partnership with TimeLine Theatre in Chicago on August 9, 2016 (time TBD). Additionally, The Project will be collaborating with American Theater Company on an inclusive casting process for the entirety of that company's 2016-17 Season. The League of Chicago Theatres continues as a supporting partner.

The reading of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at Writers Theatre will feature an inclusive cast of actors, including Charin Alvarez, Joseph Anthony Foronda, Nathan Hosner, Anish Jethmalani, Dan Lin, James Vincent Meredith, Jeff Parker, Julian Parker, Michael Perez, Adam Poss, Phillip Van Lear and Dominique Worsley with Avi Roque in the role of Joan. The reading will be directed by WT Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and stage managed by David Castellanos. Casting for the reading of Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) at TimeLine Theatre is yet to be announced.

Readings are free and open to the public. Reservations are required and will be open soon. For the most up-to-date information about reservations and programming, sign up for the mailing list at www.thechicagoinclusionproject.com or follow The Chicago Inclusion Project on facebook.

"It is deeply moving to see established Chicagoland theaters like Writers, TimeLine and American Theater Company truly considering the idea of inclusion, not just in our upcoming readings with them but in planning their future seasons," said The Chicago Inclusion Project Founder/Producer, Emjoy Gavino. "The dialogue that has started has begun to turn into action and we look forward to exploring what more we can do to further this conversation and this movement as a community: artists, administrators and patrons."

"We are excited to be working with Emjoy Gavino and The Chicago Inclusion Theatre Project on an inclusive reading of Saint Joan" said Writers Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. "Diverse, equitable and inclusive casting must become an organic and reflexive gesture for any theatre artist, and The Project is doing valuable work to bring this conversation into the mainstream. When we consciously and consistently engage our thoughts to think outside the casting box, we find ourselves in vibrant conversation with plays we thought we knew all about, gaining fresh perspectives on the greater world around us. Saint Joan is generally thought to be one of Shaw's masterpieces, and I think that the wonderful and inclusive cast that Writers Theatre and The Chicago Inclusion Project are bringing together on stage will make a terrific case for this way of thinking. Shaw, as it turns out, may have been even more ahead of his times than even HE knew himself (which is really saying something)."

"TimeLine Theatre Company is proud to partner with the Chicago Inclusion Project," added TimeLine Artistic Director PJ Powers. "We are inspired by their mission and work, and we join them in the quest for inclusivity and bringing people together for shared theatre experiences that ignite conversation and new points of view. Under the direction of TimeLine Company Member Mechelle Moe, we look forward to bringing a diverse group of artists and Audience members to our home on Wellington Avenue for a reading of Sarah Ruhl's wonderfully funny and provocative In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), and we look forward to fostering an invigorating conversation."

American Theatre Company is serving as the pilot organization for a new initiative of The Project: Casting Consultation. The Chicago Inclusion Project is now available to lead an inclusive casting process in collaboration with interested Chicago-area theatres. Artistic Director Will Davis commented, "As the new Artistic Director at ATC, I am working intensively for inclusion in all our institutional endeavors. We are proud to partner with Chicago Inclusion Project in my first season." More information about casting consultation can be found at thechicagoinclusionproject.org.

For more information, visit www.thechicagoinclusionproject.org.

About The Chicago Inclusion Project

Founded by Actor/Casting Director Emjoy Gavino, 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 www.thechicagoinclusionproject.com.

About WRITERS Theatre

For more than 20 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to Contemporary Theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, Writers Theatre has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called one of the top half-dozen regional theatres in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a sold-out and discerning audience of 35,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry. Prized for the finest interpretations of classic and Contemporary Theatre in its two intensely intimate venues, Writers Theatre's acclaimed work includes Artistic Director Michael Halberstam's world premiere in Glencoe and subsequent production of A Minister's Wife at Lincoln Center Theater; David Cromer's productions of A Streetcar Named Desire and Picnic; and the commissioning, world premiere and New York premiere of Crime and Punishment, which has received more than 30 subsequent regional Theater Productions.

The Theatre's premiere works have moved on to Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, 59E59 Theaters in New York and across the nation at regional theatres in nearly every major city.

Writers Theatre provides access to our art for all patrons, regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, gender, sexual orientation, age or ability to pay.

In November 2013, Writers Theatre announced the launch of the $34 million On to a New Stage Campaign to establish the company's first permanent home in a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. This allows the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre's neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.

About TIMELINE Theatre

TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. To date over 19 seasons, TimeLine has presented 67 productions, including nine world premieres and 27 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program, now in its ninth year of bringing the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 52 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

Now playing at TimeLine is the Chicago premiere of Lucy Kirkwood's acclaimed Chimerica, directed by Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling. Twenty years after the iconic image of one man standing alone in front of a military tank in Tiananmen Square captivated the world, a photojournalist searches for the truth about that mysterious "Tank Man" in an epic, global adventure that explores the complex relationship between China and the United States. Chimerica, winner of the 2014 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, runs through July 31, 2016.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Managing Director Elizabeth K. Auman and Board President John M. Sirek. Company Members are Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson and Benjamin Thiem. For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com.

ABOUT AMERICAN THEATer COMPANY

American Theater Company (ATC) challenges and inspires its community by exploring stories that ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" Over the last six years, ATC has become a national incubator for new work as evidenced by the explosion of new plays that have moved from ATC to other notable productions like Welcome to Arroyo's by Kristoffer Diaz to The Old Globe (2010), The Big Meal by Dan LeFranc to Playwrights Horizons (2011), Pulitzer Prize Winner Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar to Lincoln Center (2013) and Broadway (2014), and, most recently, the 2016 Tony-award winner The Humans by Stephen Karam, which went from ATC to Roundabout Theatre (2016) before Broadway (2016). With the hiring of its new artistic director Will Davis, ATC will deepen investigation of the identity question within its mission as well as its commitment to access and inclusion by placing an imperative on hiring women, artists of color and LGBTQ artists.

About The League of Chicago Theatres

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals. For a comprehensive list of ChicaGo Productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets are available year-round at HotTix.org.

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