American Blues Theater
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| Formation | 1985 |
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| Type | Theatre group |
| Location |
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Artistic director(s) | Gwendolyn Whiteside |
| Website | http://www.americanbluestheater.com/ |
American Blues Theater is a theater in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The ensemble currently has 31 members.
History[]
American Blues Theater was founded in July 1985 by William Payne, Rick Cleveland, Edward Blatchford, and James Leaming, as a company dedicated to new and classic American plays. Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune cited the theater as one of three companies in his editorial "Chicago Theater Forges New Standards of Glory."[1] In August 1993, the company leased a warehouse on Byron and Lincoln, and Leaming led a crew of around 90 volunteers in a 38-day transformation of the space into a 134-seat theater.[citation needed]
From 1997-2009, the company was led by artistic directors from outside of the ensemble. Under the leadership of Brian Russell and Damon Kiely from 1997 to 2007, the theater's name changed to the American Theater Company (ATC),[2] the mission statement was revised, and the business expanded significantly. In 2008, under new management, the ensemble theater practice was dismantled. After 18 months of talks with new management, all four founders and every ensemble member before 2008 left the ATC in March 2009 citing "major administrative and artistic differences."[3]
The ensemble immediately reformed under its original name of the American Blues Theater. The founding board members reconstituted the board, and ensemble member Gwendolyn Whiteside became the artistic director. Under her leadership, American Blues has expanded the ensemble and diversified its base of artists. Whiteside established the annual Blue Ink Playwriting Award, incorporated community service into the company's mission, and adapted the arts education program The Lincoln Project for Chicago Public Schools, which serves just under 3,000 students annually.
Community service[]
American Blues Theater provides community service for not-for-profit organizations such as the , Chicago Public Schools, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Illinois Farm Bureau, Misericordia, PAWS Chicago, and the United Service Organizations. Since 2009, the theater has held food and book drives, distributed promotional tickets, and raised awareness for children's surgeries and health needs. It also donate proceeds from "Pediatric Previews" to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Awards[]
The theater is a previous winner of American Theatre Wing's National Theatre Company Award.[citation needed] As of 2020, the theater and artists have 221 Jeff Awards and nominations, marking distinction in Chicago theater, and 38 Black Theater Alliance Awards.
Production History[]
More than half of the mainstage productions are world and Chicago premieres. The theater's new play development consists of a variety of programs, including world and Chicago premieres, the Blue Ink Playwriting Award, Blueprint play development, and the annual festival of short plays, Ripped: the Living Newspaper Festival.[4]
+ indicates World Premiere production
Season 1 (1985)
- Dogman's Last Stand by Rick Cleveland[5] +
Season 2 (1986)
- Geography of a Horse Dreamer by Sam Shepard[6]
- Hawk Moon by Sam Shepard
Season 3 (1987)
Season 4 (1988)
- Bad Moon by Rick Cleveland[9] +
Season 5 (1989-1990)
- Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O'Neill[10]
- Peacekeeper by Keith Reddin[11]
Season 6 (1991)
- Monsters: Glimpses of Urban Lunacy +
Season 7 (1992)
- Monsters II: Visiting Hours +
Season 8 (1993)
- Food From Trash by Gary Leon Hill[12]
Season 9 (1994)
- Monsters III: The El Ride +
- On the Waterfront by Budd Schulberg and Stan Silverman[13] +
Season 10 (1995-1996)
- Keely and Du by Jane Martin[14]
- Tom and Jerry by Rick Cleveland[15] +
- The Homage That Follows" by Mark Medoff[16]
Season 11 (1996-1997)
- The Flight of the Phoenix by Tim Hendrickson[17] +
- Don't Disappoint Captain January by Joseph Urbinato[18] +
- Stalag 17 by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski (co-production with Harvest Productions)[19]
- Train of Thought by Andrew Micheli +
- Toys in the Attic by Lillian Hellman[20]
Season 12 (1997-1998)[21]
- A Stone Carver by William Mastrosimone
- Scapin adapted from Molière by Bill Irwin and Mark O'Donnell
- Bus Stop by William Inge
- The Million Bells of Ocean by Edward Mast
Season 13 (1998-1999)[22]
- The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill
- One Day Only by Edward Mast +
- Pledge of Allegiance by Mark R. Giesser
- Below the Belt by Richard Dresser
- La Tectonica de las Nubes/Cloud Tectonics by Jose Rivera (co-production with Centro Cultural Helenico, Mexico City) +
Season 14 (1999-2000)[23]
- The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
- American Buffalo by David Mamet
- Medea by Euripides, translated by Nicholas Rudall +
- The Mineola Twins by Paula Vogel
Season 15 (2000-2001)
- Endgame by Samuel Beckett[24]
- Working by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso[25]
- Vick's Boy by Ben Bettenbender[26]
- Catch 22 by Joseph Heller[27] +
Season 16 (2001-2002)
- A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard[28]
- Flung by Lisa Dillman[29] +
- The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote[30]
Season 17 (2002-2003)[31]
- Quake by Melanie Marnich
- Where Have You Gone, Jimmy Stewart?" by Art Shay +
- Two Rooms" by Lee Blessing
- The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill
Season 18 (2003-2004)[32]
- Tintypes by Scott Joplin, George M. Cohan, John Philip Sousa, and others
- Angel City by Sam Shepard
- American Dead by Brett Neveu +
- Strictly Dishonorable by Preston Sturges
Season 19 (2004-2005)
- A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller[33]
- It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play adapted by Joe Landry from the film by Frank Capra
- Kid Simple by Jordan Harrison[34]
- Living Out by Lisa Loomer (co-produced with Teatro Vista)[35]
Season 20 (2005-2006)
- Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams[36]
- It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- St. Scarlet by Julia Jordan[37]
- Heritage by Brett Neveu[38] +
Season 21 (2006-2007)
- The Dark at the Top of the Stairs by William Inge[39]
- It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II[40]
- Half of Plenty by Lisa Dillman[41] +
Season 22 (2007-2008)[42]
- I Do! I Do! by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
- It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Augusta by Richard Dresser
- Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam
Season 23 (2008-2009)
- People's Temple by Leigh Fondakowski[43]
- Celebrity Row by Itamar Moses[44]
- It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks[45]
- True West by Sam Shepard[46]
Season 24 (2009-2010)[47]
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph! by the American Blues Theater Ensemble +
- Tobacco Road by Jack Kirkland
Season 25 (2010-2011)[48]
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph! by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Rantoul and Die by Mark Roberts
Season 26 (2011-2012)[49]
- Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph! by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
Season 27 (2012-2013)[50]
- Illegal Use of Hands by James Still +
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph! by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Collected Stories by Donald Margulies
Season 28 (2013-2014)[51]
- Hank Williams: Lost Highway by Randal Myler and Mark Harelik
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! by the American Blues Theater Ensemble +
- American Myth by Christina Gorman
- Grounded by George Brant
Season 29 (2014–15)[52]
- Hank Williams: Lost Highway by Randal Myler and Mark Harelik
- Native Son adapted by Nambi E. Kelley (co-production with Court Theatre) +
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Yankee Tavern by Steven Dietz
- Side Man by Warren Leight
Season 30 (2015–16)[53]
- The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Looking Over the President's Shoulder by James Still
- Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Season 31 (2016–17)[54]
- Dutchman by Amiri Baraka & TRANSit by Darren Canady +
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- The Columnist by David Auburn
Season 32 (2017–18)[55]
- Beauty's Daughter by Dael Orlandersmith
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Six Corners by Keith Huff +
- Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story by Alan James
Season 33 (2018–19)[56]
- Flyin' West by Pearl Cleage
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- On Clover Road by Steven Dietz
- The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey by Celeste Lecesne
- The Spitfire Grill by James Valeq & Fred Alley
Season 34 (2019–20)[57]
- Five Presidents by Rick Cleveland
- It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago by the American Blues Theater Ensemble
- Roan @ The Gates by Christina Telesca Gorman
- Green Day's American Idiot by Billie Joe Armstrong & Michael Mayer (postponed to summer 2021 due to COVID-19)
Season 35 (2020–21): "Breaking Boundaries"[58]
References[]
As of , this article uses content from "Ensemble History", which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under the GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Chi's American Blues Company Gets a New Name". Playbill.
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Our Mission & History - American Blues Theater".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Desire Under the Elms - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "On the Waterfront - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Tom and Jerry, American Blues Theatre - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2015-04-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Don't Disappoint Captain January - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Stalag 17 - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Losing the Blues/ The Last Impressionist? - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Life | qconline.com".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Endgame - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Vick's Boy - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times.[dead link]
- ^ "Flung - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "The Trip to Bountiful - Chicago Reader".
- ^ "Questia".[dead link]
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Reference at newcitystage.com".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "An American culture clash".
- ^ "Orpheus Descending - American Theater Company - Chicago".
- ^ "St. Scarlet (Closed March 26, 2006) | Chicago | reviews, cast and info | TheaterMania".
- ^ "Heritage - American Theater Company - Chicago".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Oklahoma! - American Theater Company - Chicago".
- ^ "Half of Plenty - American Theater Company - Chicago".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "Event Alert: Shorty Clothing and Gen Art - Chicago Reader". 23 September 2009.
- ^ "Celebrity Row - American Theater Company - Chicago".
- ^ "topdog/underdog - American Theater Company - Chicago".
- ^ "True West - American Theater Company - Chicago".
- ^ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
- ^ "American Blues Theater Announces 2010-2011 Season - Chicago Theatre News".
- ^ "American Blues Theater Announces 2011-12 Season".
- ^ "James Still, Gwendolyn Whiteside, Dennis Zacek Set for American Blues Theater's 2012-2013 Season | TheaterMania".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "American Blues Theater to Feature Side Man, Yankee Tavern and It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! In 2014-15 Season". 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "American Blues Theater announces 2016-17 season". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "American Blues 2017-18 season will include a new Keith Huff play". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "American Blues Theater Announces 2018-19 Season". 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Announcing Season 34 "then & now" (2019/20)". 6 March 2019.
- ^ "American Blues Theater announces 35th season - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "August Wilson's FENCES - American Blues Theater".
- ^ "Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT - American Blues Theater".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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