The Theatre Thursdays initiative, first launched in 2005, strengthens and diversifies the Chicago theatre community by encouraging Chicagoans to explore new venues and companies. For the 2015-2016 season, the League revamped the program to focus on new work with twelve Theatre Thursday events, one per month. Each monthly event provides audiences with a world premiere production and an inside look at the creative process behind new works, including exclusive access to artists.
The remaining 2015-2016 lineup includes:
Thursday, May 12, 2016
DEATH OF A STREETCAR NAMED VIRGINIA WOOLF: A PARODY
Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, IL
Event begins at 6:30 pm, Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $35 at WritersTheatre.org with promo code: NEWORLEANS
Join Writers Theatre in its brand new theatre center for art, laughter and conversation. Begin the evening with a guided tour of the building and then engage with the hilarious world premiere of Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody-a collaboration with The Second City. After the performance, enjoy a talkback with artists and a reception with complimentary refreshments.
Co-directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and former Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden, this deliciously satirical mash-up of A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Our Town opens Writers Theatre's new Gillian Theatre with a tongue-in-cheek salute to the celebrated icons of American drama. This hilarious result of a collaboration between Writers Theatre and Chicago's world-renowned comedy theatre, The Second City, asks the intriguing question: What happens when the most recognizable characters from some of the greatest American plays of the 20th century suddenly find themselves sharing the same stage?
Thursday, June 16, 2016
THADDEUS AND SLOCUM: A VAUDEVILLE ADVENTURE
Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago
Event begins at 6:00 pm, Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 at LookingglassTheatre.org with promo code: THTH
Join Lookingglass Theatre for a special pre-show Theatre Thursdays event and conversation in the lobby with a member of the artistic staff.
It's 1908 and Chicago's Majestic Theatre is the jewel of the vaudeville circuit. The only thing stopping Thaddeus and Slocum from becoming the next great stage act is as simple - and complicated - as black and white. Will laughter triumph and friendship endure as racial boundaries threaten to destroy their dreams of making the "big time?" In this world premiere written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas, Lookingglass dives deep into the divided heart of American show biz for a daring cavalcade of slapstick, song and dance, burlesque as two best friends risk everything to make it to the top together.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
DATING AND DRAGONS
The Factory Theater, 1621 W. Howard St., Chicago
Event details for this Theatre Thursdays event will be announced closer to the date.
Jack loves to play games. He's really good at knowing the rules, especially when the game involves swords, sorcery, and a dragon or two. But when he meets Diane and falls under her spell, which rules should he follow? How do you win at dating? Join Jack and his friends on a journey through the rules of dating, dragons, and doing the right thing.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
GOOD FRIDAY
Oracle Productions, 3809 N. Broadway, Chicago
Event details for this Theatre Thursdays event will be announced closer to the date.
Admission is FREE in Public Access Theatre
good friday is a co-production from Kristiana Rae Colón and Tara Branham in association with Oracle Productions. In academia's hallowed halls, five women debate millennial feminism when gunshots shatter the safety of their discourse. As tweets stream across the campus feed, the body count grows. And then the shooter enters the classroom. At the intersection of gun violence and slacktivism, in a #yesallwomen world, what is the real cost of revolution?
Please note that Theatre Thursdays event information and dates are subject to change.
Chicago theatre is a leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 that have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago's theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In the 2014-2015 season, Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year, Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.
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.
Additional information about Theatre Thursdays is available at bit.ly/theatrethursdays.
For a comprehensive list of Chicago theatre productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets are available at HotTix.org or at one of three downtown locations.
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