Theatre Seven of Chicago Sets 2013-14 Season: World Premiere of UNWILLING AND HOSTILE INSTRUMENTS & More!

Theatre Seven of Chicago is pleased to announce its 2013/14 Season, featuring two world premiere productions, plus the continuation of its popular, year-round monthly reading series. In the fall, Theatre Seven pays homage to the 100th anniversary of suffrage in Illinois with the world premiere of UNWILLING AND HOSTILE INSTRUMENTS: 100 Years of Extraordinary Chicago Women, a collection of eight new plays by some of the industry's most talented writers, directed by Elly Green at American Theater Company. In the spring, T7 partners with Stage Left Theatre for the world premiere of Joe Zarrow's PRINCIPAL PRINCIPLE, a darkly comedic peek into the politics and challenges facing Chicago's teachers at Theater Wit. Throughout the season, Theatre Seven will showcase plays set in Chicago through its free, monthly reading series, SHIKAAKWA.

"We are proud to announce a season of world premiere plays set in Chicago, as well as celebrate the evolution of our mission to exclusively explore work that engages our audience with stories about this city," comments Managing Artistic Director Brian Golden. "Our season starts with a celebration of Illinois' leadership in the suffrage movement and an examination of the current state of equality in Illinois. Our partnership with the talented artists at Stage Left Theatre gives us the opportunity to explore a play at the intersection of our two companies' respective missions: Chicago and political conversation. On the whole, this season celebrates progress throughout the last Chicago century while also looking at systemic challenges and those who work to overcome them," adds Golden.

Theatre Seven of Chicago's 2012/14 Season:

The World Premiere of
UNWILLING AND HOSTILE INSTRUMENTS: 100 Years of Extraordinary Chicago Women
Featuring short works by eight playwrights (to be announced)
Directed by Elly Green
September/October 2013
at American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron St., Chicago

Unwilling and Hostile Instruments brings together eight talented playwrights to pen short pieces about extraordinary women from Chicago's last hundred years to commemorate the 100th anniversary of suffrage in Illinois. In 1913, a vocal opponent of the suffrage movement called women "nothing more than the unwilling and hostile instruments of creation." This project turns that ignorant quote on its head, celebrating the accomplishments of Chicago's greatest historical women, as well as those current blazing the trail. After select performances, female bands, visual artists and actors will perform, creating an all-out festival celebrating Chicago women.

The World Premiere of
PRINCIPAL PRINCIPLE
A Co-Production with Stage Left Theatre
By Joe Zarrow
April 12 - May 18, 2014
at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Armed with her dreams of changing the world and six weeks of training, Kay quits her corporate job to teach English in a Chicago public high school. She arrives to find that the copy machine, the system, and the spirits of her fellow teachers are all broken. Or are they? A dark comedy of academic intrigue, Principal Principle is a world premiere by playwright and former CPS teacher Joe Zarrow that takes a peek at the politics behind the closed doors of the teachers' lounge.

Joe Zarrow is a playwright and actor and is an artistic associate of Theatre Seven of Chicago. Walkabout Theater produced his site-specific farce The Pigeons (originally developed with Stage Left), and he has performed his original solo shows Hold Me, Drill Me, Kill Me and Dead White Men in Bed in Chicago, New York, Providence, Winnipeg, and Washington, D.C. Other Chicago performances have included roles in Bulrusher (Congo Square), Arcadia (New Leaf), Amuse Bouche (Pavement Group), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Sankofa), State & Madison: The Grid (Theatre Seven of Chicago), Walk Two Moons (Adventure Stage), and 200 Funny Things (Collaboraction). Joe is also an artistic associate of Pavement Group and serves as that company's Literary Director. After attending Brown University and NYU, Joe taught high school and middle school English for seven years, including a four-year stint with Chicago Public Schools.

Principal Principle was developed in the summer of 2012 at Brown/Trinity Playwrights Repertory Theatre, under the artistic direction of Lowry Marshall and Kenneth Prestininzi. In 2012, Principal Principle was a part of Theatre Seven's Shikaakwa Reading Series.

SHIKAAKWA: Free Monthly Reading Series
September 2013 - August 2014
Various locations

Theatre Seven's free monthly reading series, has grown a large following by combining engaging programming with a festive atmosphere and some of the best talent in town. A post-show discussion and free drinks come with every performance - and this year, every play in the series will be set in Chicago.

Founded in 2007, Theatre Seven of Chicago's mission is to transform the way Chicagoans engage with their city and to become the premiere center for the creation, development and showcase of theatrically-based Chicago stories. The company has earned nominations for four Jeff Awards and won the 2012 League of Chicago Theatres' Emerging Theatre Award. The company's noted world premieres include The Chicago Landmark Project, We Live Here and Diversey Harbor. Theatre Seven company also hosts a robust menu of auxiliary programming, including a free monthly reading series, Shikaakwa, featuring new looks at Chicago plays and one of the best post-show discussions in town.

Founded in 1982, Stage Left Theatre is committed to developing and producing plays that raise debate and challenge perspectives on political and social issues. Through a full subscription season and our new play development program Downstage Left, Stage Left strives to ask provocative social and political questions by producing a mix of new works, regional premieres and timeless classics.

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