Jen Short

THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES is a mixed bag of tone and theme. It is comedy, tragedy, drama, slapstick and farce and then ends in a dark, dark place. Its themes -- The American Dream, mental illness, religion, loneliness, violence and betrayal -- are played out to varying levels of hysteria, which makes for a bewildering night at the theater.

JoAnn Montemurro, co-Artistic Director of Raven Theatre, presents THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES by John Guare. The play begins on the company's East Stage from today, April 20 through June 18, 2016 under Montemurro's direction.

JoAnn Montemurro, co-Artistic Director of Raven Theatre, has announced casting for the company's upcoming production of THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES by John Guare. The play will run on the company's East Stage from April 20 through June 18, 2016 under Montemurro's direction.

Sean Graney, who recently returned to Chicago to resume his post as Artistic Director of The Hypocrites, informed the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee that he just learned the theater company had been operating under an Equity CAT-N contract for the duration of the 2014-2015 Non-Equity season.  Over the past year, requests for judging its productions were made to the Non-Equity Wing without the committee having knowledge of the company's Equity status. The Jeff Committee was aware that two of the productions had Equity performers (as indicated in the program); however, the committee has now confirmed that these were not guest contracts.  As such, the company's productions are not eligible for consideration in the Non-Equity Wing, and all related Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations have been rescinded.  The productions in question will be shifted to the Equity Wing for awards consideration during its current season, which commenced on August 1, 2014 and will end on July 30, 2015.

Raven Theatre Company's exploration of Horton Foote will continue with its free reading of Foote's Courtship, the fifth of nine plays in the writer's The Orphans' Home Cycle, a series of plays based on the life of Foote's father between the years 1902 and 1928.

Raven Theatre Company's exploration of Horton Foote will continue with its free reading of Foote's Courtship, the fifth of nine plays in the writer's The Orphans' Home Cycle, a series of plays based on the life of Foote's father between the years 1902 and 1928.

Arthur Miller's intense drama, raising questions of morality and the limits of family ties, promises to be a special opening production for Raven's 2014-2015 season. Headlining the cast will be Chuck Spencer and JoAnn Montemurro as Joe and Kate Keller. These two Raven ensemble members, who earned accolades for their work as Willy and Linda Loman in Miller's Death of a Salesman and as Victor and Esther Franz in his The Price, will play Joe and Kate Keller. Raven first produced All My Sons in 1990 and they appeared in that production as well, playing George Deever and Ann Deever.

Arthur Miller's intense drama, raising questions of morality and the limits of family ties, promises to be a special opening production for Raven's 2014-2015 season. Headlining the cast will be Chuck Spencer and JoAnn Montemurro as Joe and Kate Keller. These two Raven ensemble members, who earned accolades for their work as Willy and Linda Loman in Miller's Death of a Salesman and as Victor and Esther Franz in his The Price, will play Joe and Kate Keller. Raven first produced All My Sons in 1990 and they appeared in that production as well, playing George Deever and Ann Deever.

Raven Theatre's 32nd Season, under the theme 'Family Business,' will include four plays exploring the nature of family ties, according to Producing Artistic Director Michael Menendian and Co-Artistic Director JoAnn Montemurro.

This year, one of the many ways Chicagoans can observe St. Patrick's Day beyond dropping in to an Irish pub might be a visit to Raven Theatre in Edgewater to see the theatre's acclaimed production of The Playboy of the Western World. J. M. Synge's pioneering classic of modern Irish drama is a non-alcoholic trip to the Emerald Isle, though the play is, incidentally, set in an Irish country pub (they call it a shebeen). Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Raven Theatre will present THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, by J.M. Synge, and directed by Michael Menedian. The show will begin previews on Feb. 4, and continue through Feb. 9, with ticket prices at $22. Opening night is set for Feb. 10, and the show wil run through April 5, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm Tickets $36, $15 for students, teachers and military personnel, $5 discount for seniors

Raven Theatre welcomes you home in The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote, directed by JoAnn Montemurro. Opening night is Monday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in Raven's lobby. Tickets and information are available atwww.raventheatre.com or 773-338-2177.

Raven Theatre's 30th season opens with The Big Knife, directed by Michael Menendian. Opening is tonight, September 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in Raven's lobby. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Raven Theatre's 30th season opens with The Big Knife, directed by Michael Menendian. Opening is Monday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in Raven's lobby. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Raven Theatre's Director of Education & Outreach and new ensemble member, Kelli Strickland, is one of ten arts professionals selected worldwide to receive the prestigious, nationally recognized DeVos Institute Fellowship at The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Raven Theatre closes the 2011-2012 season with, Bang the Drum Slowly, directed by Michael Menendian. Opening is tonight, May 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception sponsored by the Fireside Restaurant following in Raven's lobby. Tickets and information are available at www.raventheatre.com or 773-338-2177.

Raven Theatre closes the 2011-2012 season with, Bang the Drum Slowly, directed by Michael Menendian. Opening is Sunday, May 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception sponsored by the Fireside Restaurant following in Raven's lobby. Tickets and information are available at www.raventheatre.com or 773-338-2177.

Raven Theatre will present Arthur Miller's drama, The Price, directed by Michael Menedian. Opening is Sunday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in Raven's lobby.

Raven Theatre will present Arthur Miller's drama, The Price, directed by Michael Menedian. Opening is Sunday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in Raven's lobby.

Raven Theatre continues its 28th season with Radio Golf, directed by Aaron Todd Douglas. Opening is Sunday, February 27, at 7:00 p.m. at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark, with a reception following in the Raven lobby sponsored by Big Jones Restaurant (www.bigjoneschicago.com). Tickets and information are available at www.raventheatre.com or 773-338-2177.