War Garden

Walkabout Theater Company and NeighborSpace announced the world premiere of War Garden, a comic and historic theater production and event celebrating Chicago's history of community gardening. Beginning June 13 in Grant Park, the production features larger-than-life historical figures, patriotic songs, vegetable warfare and audience participation and travels to five additional community gardens in Chicago before returning to Grant Park for its final performances July 25 - 27. The event includes a one-half hour "Garden Party" before each performance, in which hands-on gardening and art making activities are offered to audience members. 

War Garden represents a unique partnership between Walkabout Theater Company, a theater company specializing in location-specific productions, and NeighborSpace, an urban land trust dedicated to preserving community-managed gardens in Chicago.  War Garden explores Chicago's origins of the wildly popular "war garden" movement of the First World War and updates the concept and its relevance to the community gardens of today's Chicago.  The play features a four-member Ladies' Auxiliary and the legendary Chicago figure of Captain George W. Streeter, who reinvent their own history to offer a new perspective on today's urban agricultural revival.  Ultimately, War Garden shows that gardening continues to be a source of community pride and mobilization as well as a place for dialogue about how we eat and live as a city. The event will tour to urban community gardens throughout the city, reflecting the geographic, economic, racial and cultural diversity of the community gardening movement today. 

Locations, Dates and Times

  • June 13-15, 5:00pm - Grant Park, Growing Power Community Garden at the intersection of Columbus and Congress.
  • June 22, 5:00pm. - Hoxie Prairie Garden, 106th St. and Hoxie Ave.
  • June 29, 5:00pm - Ginkgo Organic Garden, 4055 N. Kenmore Ave.
  • July 6, 5:00pm. - African Heritage Garden, 3546 W. 12th Place
  • July 13, 5:00pm - El Coqui Garden, 2600 W. Crystal Ave.
  • July 19-20 , 1:00pm - Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave.
  • July 25-27, 5:00pm - Grant Park, Growing Power Community Garden at the intersection of Columbus and Congress.

Tickets are a suggested donation of $10 and will be available at each garden the day of the event. At each venue there will be a limited number of reserved seating, audience members are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs for their seating. For more information or to inquire about special needs seating call 773-527-0341 or go to walkabouttheater.org.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults Announces 2008-2009 Season

Steppenwolf announced the Steppenwolf for Young Adults 2008-2009 Season:  The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov, playing October 21 - November 9, 2008; and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, directed by Michael Patrick Thornton, playing April 21 - May 10, 2009. 

"I am excited to present two classic works that have been studied in schools throughout the years and have a strong history with Steppenwolf Theatre," comments Artistic and Education Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults Hallie Gordon.  "As we move into our 2008-2009 season that Steppenwolf has titled 'the season of the imagination,' I want to take this opportunity to re-examine the American Dream, how the next generation imagines it and their place in the creation of it," adds Gordon.

Steppenwolf for Young Adults is Steppenwolf's educational program for students, teachers and families, and is focused on making the theater accessible to Chicago youth.  Steppenwolf for Young Adults consists of complementary programming components that are designed to enhance education, build self-esteem and social tolerance, and encourage lifelong appreciation of the arts.  At the core of Steppenwolf for Young Adults are the professional, full-scale productions produced specifically for young adult audiences each season.

Both productions will be presented in the Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago.  Tickets are currently on sale for school groups only.  Individual tickets will go on sale to the public at a later date.

Adventure Stage Chicago Announces 2008-2009 season

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) has also announced their 2008-2009 season, which is comprised of two productions for audiences age 8 and older.

November 16 - December 18, 2008
Holes
by Louis Sachar

Fourteen-year-old Stanley Yelnats is convicted for a crime he didn't commit and sentenced to Camp Green Lake - where nothing is green and no lake is in sight. He blames his rotten luck on the Yelnats family curse, which traces back to his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealin'-great-great-grandfather." Supposedly to build character, the camp boys spend their days digging huge holes under the brutal desert sun. But as Stanley discovers the real reason behind all those countless holes, fate begins to point him toward his true destiny. Join Stanley, Zero, Kissin' Kate, Mr. Sir, the Warden, and other favorite characters from Mr. Sachar's immensely popular novel for a rowdy adventure you won't soon forget.

April 5 - May 21, 2009
Katrina: The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back
by Jason Tremblay

This exciting new work follows Katrina, a young girl from New Orleans forced to face the powerful hurricane that shares her name. Separated from her beloved father during the storm, Katrina must journey to safety with only ghosts, sweet N'awlins music and her own bravery as companions. Despite enormous obstacles, Katrina is determined to reclaim her name and recover the magic and fire that lie within the city and herself. Featuring live jazz music and non-stop action, Katrina: The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back is an exuberant celebration of one of America's most historical cities. 

Adventure Stage Chicago's mission is to create dynamic theatre for young audiences that activates the imagination, inspires dialogue and celebrates community among families, educators and artists. ASC is Chicago's only professional theatre company dedicated solely to theatrical programming for young people ages 8-14 and the adults in their lives.

Tickets for all shows are $17.00 for adults, $12.00 children aged 14 and under, $10.00 previews and $8.00 school groups. Other group discounts available. Passport to Adventure subscriptions are available beginning in mid-September. For tickets or more information, call 773-342-4141 or visit www.adventurestage.org.

The Gift Theatre's Sold-Out Hit To Reopen at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse

Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton and Executive Director Daniel J. Ahlfeld announced the transfer of The Gift Theatre's production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Kevin Christopher Fox, to the Victory Gardens Greenhouse, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. The sold-out hit will run, in association with Victory Gardens, June 12-July 20, 2008, following its current run at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., through May 18, 2008.

"The Gift is honored to be welcomed by Victory Gardens for this production of one of our biggest hits. For the first time-ever, The Gift will have two productions running simultaneously, W;T at our home in Jefferson Park and Judas Iscariot at The Greenhouse, thanks to our hard working ensemble and our loyal supporters and patrons," comments Thornton. "Gift's earliest shows were performed at Victory Gardens in the smaller downstairs Studio, so our return to perform in its larger venue is a proud time for us. I took my first acting class at Victory Gardens, and VG was also the site of my return to Chicago theatre after a long absence due to hospital stays and physical therapy. We are absolutely thrilled to return to this artistic home as we bring this thoughtful and funny production to a wider audience this summer."

Tickets are $35-$40 and are available through Victory Gardens, (773) 871-3000; www.victorygardens.org.

More Extensions and Remounts

PJ Paparelli's Chicago directorial debut, Speech and Debate, reached record-breaking ticket sales and due to ticket demand, performances have been added through May 31, 2008 at the American Theater Company. Tickets for the week-long extension are now on sale through the box office, www.atcweb.org and 773-409-4125.

Vitalist Theatre, in association with Premiere Theatre and Performance, announced that A Passage To India has also been extended through May 31, 2008.  E.M. Forster's novel is adapted by Martin Sherman and staged by recent After Dark Award-winning director, Elizabeth Carlin-Metz.  A Passage to India is now playing at the Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W Belmont Ave, Chicago. Call the Box Office for tickets and more information at 773-327-5252.

Also due to strong ticket sales, The Hypocrites have added performances for Our Town. There will now be an added Saturday performance at 4:00pm on May 24, May 31, and June 7 and the company is also increasing the capacity for the remaining performances.

The '60s return with a remount of the Black Ensemble Theatre's hit show Those Sensational Soulful '60. Black Ensemble's legendary performers take audiences back in time as they bring back the hits of Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Brook Benton, Sammy Davis Jr. an many, many more. The remount will run June 7 - August 31 at the Chicago Center for Performing Arts. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling 312-733-6000.