4-11-08
Take Your Show Downtown
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) has put out a call for projects from both established and emerging theatre companies to present in the Storefront Theater (66 E. Randolph), January-June 2009, for runs of five to six weeks. Proposals for creative and innovative productions must be postmarked no later than Friday, May 16. Applying theatres must adhere to the mission of the Chicago DCA Theaters, supply proof of 501(c)3 status or application, and document a successful community history. Companies from outside Chicago may be selected (rarely) under special circumstances. Complete proposal packets are available at www.dcatheater.org.
Local premieres and new works are strongly encouraged. The DCA feels that many smaller and newer theatres are not aware of the opportunity to produce with the DCA, so help spread the word.
Our colleague and friend Lawrence Bommer is recuperating at home after a visit to the Stroger Medical Center. Larry was all prepped for heart surgery—laid out on the gurney with IV drip in place—but, as he’s a theatre critic, the doctors couldn’t find his heart. So they turned their attention to his torn Achilles tendon instead and sent him home in a leg cast. We send him our wishes for a swift and pain-free recovery. If you see Larry hobbling about, please don’t kick him while he’s down.
Congo Square Theatre Company finally opened Richard Wesley’s The Talented Tenth on March 16 at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, a month later than originally planned. The troupe has been scrambling for some time to stabilize itself, with the long absence of a managing or executive director obviously taking its toll. Various management tasks—from fundraising to media relations—have fallen into disarray even though board members have done their best to take up some of the slack.
I attended The Talented Tenth on March 23 and wasn’t given a program. When I asked for one, I was told “We’ve run out,” to which I replied “But the show just opened a week ago.” An usher finally found a program for me, an eight-page self-produced booklet that supplied info on the cast and production team but little else. It thanked several foundation and corporate donors but contained no advertising, no list of Congo Square ensemble members or staff, no list of board members and individual donors and no information about the company’s history, mission, programs or upcoming productions. Any opportunity to use the program as an instrument of outreach—which it should be—was missed.
One hopes the program snafu isn’t fully indicative of the state of affairs at Congo Square, which has added several new board members. This company has proved its artistic mettle time and time again over the last eight years, including this season. Given how few professional African-American performing arts organizations Chicago has, we cannot afford to lose this company. While the fast answer is, “Give money,” the fact is money isn’t really the answer right now, it’s management. Congo Square must hire a suitable executive soon.
Chicago Cabaret Professionals (CCP) is holding an open mic night at Davenport’s as part of its educational program. Think of it as a non-rock “American Idol” minus Simon Cowell and with more intelligent feedback than you’d get from Paula Abdul. Says CCP education person Laura Freeman, “You can sing all you want at home, but to really hone your skills, you need to be in front of people.” She says the CCP open mic will put singers in front of a CCP musical director, will test your skills with your lyric, and is a great way to network and hear other songs. Feedback from the audience and the evening’s musical director is part of the process as would-be cabaret artists search for the right song, the right key and/or the right tempo. The first Get Out There and Sing is at 8:30 p.m., April 14 at Davenport’s (1383 N. Milwaukee Ave.). Just bring your music. Feedback from the CCP musical director will be delivered privately the next day via e-mail.
American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisc. continues its outreach to the Chicago area for a second year, working with Carol Fox & Associates. As APT prepares for its 29th season, producing artistic director David Frank and several associated artists came to town April 2 for a dog-and-pony show for media types and supporters at the Cliff Dwellers Club. As it has for several years, the APT season (June 7-Oct. 5) will include several Chicago artists, notably director William Brown, who’ll stage A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and James Bohnen who’ll direct Henry IV: The Making of a King—a combination of the two parts. A few members of the APT acting troupe are known in these parts, too, among them Matt Schwader, who is the newest member of the APT core acting company. He’ll play Prince Hal.
There’s great news about actor John Sterchi, delivered by The Sterkman himself in an e-letter to friends. Recent scans and examinations by his oncologist have shown him to be cancer-free. “The news is great!!!…praise the lord…I had a complete response to the treatment for tonsil/neck cancer [and] the tests showed no signs of the cancer that was previously there, nor any new problem areas.” The doc told John that the radiation/chemo therapies did their job and that John is clean and clear.
John continues, “...thanks to all of you for your prayers, mojo, good vibes and all the positive energy you have sent my way these past, very challenging six months. I continue to struggle with some side effects (fatigue, throat pain, eating issues, dry mouth) and many of these things may take months to get back to normal (if ever), but over the past two weeks I have begun to feel somewhat better: getting some energy back and starting to eat ‘normal’ food from time to time. I still have a ways to go in recovery, but I’m much better than I was a month ago and believe I will be that much better in another month—there is light at the end of the tunnel! So thanks again for all your concern, your calls, your cards and letters and every little thing you all did to support me thru this journey... I never felt alone and could not have done it without you! When I asked the doc if there were any do’s or don’ts in the meantime, he said ‘start living!’”
Can I get an AMEN !?!?!”