Nelsan Ellis Directs Collective Theatre's Inaugural Production HOODOO LOVE, Opening Tonight, 9/22

The Collective Theatre has announced its inaugural production: the Chicago premiere of HooDoo Love by Olivier Award-winning playwright Katori Hall, directed by Nelsan Ellis, star of HBO's hit series True Blood. HooDoo Love plays tonight, September 22 – October 21, 2012 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Avenue in Chicago. The production features Christophé Abiel, Toni Lynice Fountain, Mark Smith and Lynn Wactor. Tickets are currently available online at www.athenaeumtheatre.org or by calling the Athenaeum Theatre Box Office at (773) 935-6875. The press performance is Tuesday, September 25 at 7:30 pm.

Set in the 1930s, HooDoo Love is a moving tale of love, magic, jealousy and secrets. Toulou escapes from the Mississippi cotton fields to pursue her dream of singing the blues in Memphis. When she meets a rambling blues man, the notorious Ace of Spades, her dreams are realized in a way she never could have imagined. Written in vivid language that captures the blues, HooDoo Love is a not-to-be missed work by one of theatre's most critically acclaimed new American voices.

In a joint statement, Co-Founders of The Collective Theatre said, "Each of us is a testimony to the benefits of having arts in the public school system. We are thrilled to continue the work we started so many years ago and to share our creativity with such a talented cast. Our goal has always been to bring people of various backgrounds together through the use of theater and to provide a forum for meaningful dialogue and creative expression. The production of HooDoo Love accomplishes this. It is a powerful masterpiece, wrought with complexity… yet so simplistically human; it's a story that will move everyone who sees it."

Title: HooDoo Love
Playwright: Katori Hall
Director: Nelsan Ellis
Featuring: Christophé Abiel (Ace of Spades), Toni Lynice Fountain (Candy Lady), Mark Smith (Jib) and Lynn Wactor (Toulou)

Location: Athenaeum Theatre
2936 N. Southport Avenue in Chicago
Dates: Previews: September 22 & 23 at 7:30 pm
Press Preview: Tuesday, September 25 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: September 27 – October 21, 2012
Curtain Times: Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:30 & 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm
Tickets: Previews: $27
Regular run: $32; $20 students
Tickets are available online at www.athenaeumtheatre.org or by calling the Athenaeum Theatre Box Office at (773) 935-6875.

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