Brooke Allen News

The One-Minute Play Festival (Dominic D'Andrea, Producing Artistic Director and Caitlin Wees, Associate Producer) in association with The Den Theatre, is pleased to present the 5th Annual CHICAGO ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL playing two nights only Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 8 pm at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets, priced at $20, are currently available at 1mpf.brownpapertickets.com.

Tympanic dares you to brave The Den and explore several dystopias with us for the final show in our eighth season: TODAY WE ESCAPE: Plays Inspired by OK COMPUTER. Enter a sterilized future inspired by one of the most haunting -- and touching -- albums ever recorded.

Tympanic dares you to brave The Den and explore several dystopias with us for the final show in our eighth season: TODAY WE ESCAPE: Plays Inspired by OK COMPUTER. Enter a sterilized future inspired by one of the most haunting -- and touching -- albums ever recorded.

Continuing with its new 'incite change' mission, Collaboraction presents SKETCHBOOK: 2049, a rapid-fire, raucous festival of 17 world premiere theatre pieces ranging from under a minute to 20 minutes in length, all set in a positive post-apocalypse and reflective of contemporary society's current challenges. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the productions!

Jeremy Owens' You're Being Ridiculous will be at Mary's Attic (5400 N. Clark Street in Chicago) on Fridays, tonight, May 16, 23 and 30 at 7:30pm.

Jeremy Owens' You're Being Ridiculous will be at Mary's Attic (5400 N. Clark Street in Chicago) on Fridays, May 16, 23 and 30 at 7:30pm.

Victory Gardens Artistic Director Chay Yew, Managing Director Chis Mannelli and The One-Minute Play Festival Producing Artistic Director Dominic D'Andrea announce the Fourth Annual Chicago One-Minute Play Festival (#1MPF), an evening of one-minute plays by sixty of Chicago's top playwrights, directed by ten Chicago directors. #1MPF will be presented for two performances only, Sunday, May 4 and Monday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park.

Tympanic Theatre Company and the side project are excited to announce their upcoming world premiere co-production of Sandalwood. Developed over the course of three years through a series of workshops, the script of Sandalwood is written by Dan Caffrey* and directed by Aaron Henrickson*. Sandalwood is performed at the side project (1439 W. Jarvis) today, March 28-April 20, 2014.

Tympanic Theatre Company and the side project are excited to announce their upcoming world premiere co-production of Sandalwood. Developed over the course of three years through a series of workshops, the script of Sandalwood is written by Dan Caffrey* and directed by Aaron Henrickson*. Sandalwood is performed at the side project (1439 W. Jarvis) March 28-April 20, 2014.

The Ruckus Theater follows up its Jeff-Recommended productions of Heist Play and Facing Angela with the world premiere of The Deer, starting April 11 at Collaboraction (Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee) in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. The Deer marks the third partnership between playwright Brooke Allen and director Eric Hoff; the pair collaborated on The Life and Death of Madam Barker, which premiered to great acclaim at Red Tape Theatre in 2013. The cast of six includes Mike Tepeli as The Deer (Great Expectations, Strawdog Theatre; The Burnt Part Boys, Griffin Theatre Company); Bryan Bosque (Harry & the Thief, Pavement Group; The Skriker, Red Tape Theatre); Julie Cowden (Facing Angela, The Ruckus; All Girl Frankenstein, The Mammals); Ruckus Associate Artistic Director Joshua Davis (Heist Play, The Ruckus; Lear, Red Tape Theatre); Matthew Lloyd, (The Lives of Pigeons, the side project); and Cheryl Snodgrass (Hell in a Handbag).

2013 Tony Award-winner Billy Porter will guest star on the November 6th episode of NBC's LAW & ORDER: SVU titled 'Dissonant Voice'.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Three touring shows are playing this week, with 'Wicked' beginning next week, plus a lot at Northwestern, two spelling bees, more Halloween shows, appearances by Joan Crawford and Elaine Stritch, and more!

Red Tape Theatre (RTT) has announcde the successful conclusion of the Kickstarter campaign dedicated to raising funds to help produce the World Premiere of The Life and Death of Madam Barker. Through generous donations from the community, they surpassed our initial goal of $2000, raising a total of $2270.

Red Tape Theatre (RTT) opens its tenth season with the World Premiere of The Life and Death of Madam Barker on October 14th, 2013. Tickets will go on sale September 16th at www.redtapetheatre.org. All performances will be presented at RTT's home in St. Peter's Episcopal Church, located at 621 W Belmont Ave. Tickets during the regular run for The Life and Death of Madam Barker will be $25, General Admission with Preview tickets discounted at $15 and all Thursday night performances being "Pay What You Can". Performances are Thursdays-Mondays at 8pm.

In its 2013-14 season of nine shows, the side project continues its drive to create world premiere collaborations. Artistic Director Adam Webster says, 'We are thrilled to present a world premiere from renowned playwright Kathleen Tolan (Goodman Theatre's Memory House), as well as continue the relationship we have with NY-based playwright Daniel Talbott, whose play Slipping we world premiered in 2008, and which was subsequently shortlisted for the 2010 Lambda Award, along with The Brother/Sister Plays. Further, we are excited to team up with Tympanic Theatre Company for our first co-production, Sandalwood.' Tympanic's last co-production was Scott Barsotti's Brewed.

All productions (other than the site-specific show, It Comes In) will take place at The Side Project Theatre, located at 1439 Jarvis Avenue. Tickets are $12-$20 and may be purchased online. Also: All season, the side project is continuing its $10 "rush" tickets for all empty seats to Rogers Park residents with I.D. bearing 60626 and 60645 ZIP Codes. For more information, visit www.thesideproject.net or call the theatre's box office at 773-340-0140.

Red Tape Theatre (RTT) announces their 2013/14 Season, which marks their 10th Anniversary Season and first season under the direction of new Artistic Director, Brandon Ray. The season opens October 14th, 2013 with the world premiere of The Life and Death of Madam Barker by Brooke Allen, with music and lyrics by John Fournier and directed by Eric Hoff. Then, in January of 2014 RTT will present the US premiere of hamlet is dead. no gravity by Ewald Palmetshofer, translated by Neil Blackadder and directed by Seth Bockley. Concluding the season in May of 2014, RTT will present another US Premiere, Earthquakes in London, by Mike Bartlett and directed by Brandon Ray. Red Tape Theatre's 10th Season will be presented at its home in St. Peter's Episcopal Church, located at 621 W Belmont Ave.

Following a successful fourth season with productions at Theater Wit and the Athenaeum Theatre, The Ruckus Theater is proud to announce its fifth season in Chicago. Artistic Director Allison Shoemaker and Associate Artistic Director Joshua Davis release today a season of five new plays and workshops. First, Artistic Director Allison Shoemaker takes the helm of a revamped version of The Ruckus' first Chicago production, Heist Play. Through a workshop and development process in 2013, this production has undergone significant rewrites by playwright Mitch Vermeersch and will be performed at The Side Project (Oct. 12- Nov. 10, 2013). The Spring production, The Deer, is penned by Chicago playwright Brooke Allen (Ruby Wilder) and will be directed by Eric Hoff (Hit the Wall). The Deer will be performed at Collaboraction (March 30-April 27, 2014). Additionally, The Ruckus will present three works-in-progress in the late Spring of 2014, including new work Home After Dark by Will Bishop and two pieces to be devised by the company. Further details regarding The Ruckus: Season 5, including casting and ticket information, will be announced in the coming weeks. Please visit www.ruckustheater.org for more information.