Category: Community Relations
Black Ensemble Theater’s new $16-million arts facility
On Friday, September 10th
Black Ensemble Theater Breaks Ground on
New $16-million Performance Arts Facility
The 50,000 Square-Foot Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center expected to open in September 2011, will be Permanent Home in 34-Year History
With its expanded and enhanced capabilities, the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center is designed to engage the community and encourage more holistic, positive critical thought about how African-Americans are seen and presented. The new facility will include amenities such as:
- 300-seat main stage theater (double the capacity of the current venue)
- 150-seat stage to serve niche audiences and smaller-scale productions
- Classroom space that can be used by the community
- Rehearsal hall and dance studio that will feature scene, costume and wardrobe rooms
- Seven (7) dressing rooms
- Work space for musicians
- Expanded front lobby space with two concession areas
- Indoor parking garage
The Black Ensemble Theater will mark the groundbreaking of its new $16 million performance arts and cultural facility, the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, at 4440 N. Clark Street, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will feature performances from popular Black Ensemble productions and include remarks from founder and executive director Jackie Taylor. Invited guests include: Governor Pat Quinn, Mayor Richard M. Daley, and Alderman Eugene Schulter. Actor Harry Lennix will chair the ceremony.
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Chicago native Taylor founded the Black Ensemble Theater in 1976 with a mission to eradicate racism, merging her roles as actress and educator to build awareness and foster greater understanding of the African-American contribution to the cultural fabric of American history through theater. This charge is realized through outstanding, award-winning productions that attract highly diverse racial audiences as well as effective educational outreach programming that reaches more than 10,000 youth each year.
This is an exciting time in our history, as a new building will help to facilitate the resurgence of the theater as an authentic space where a great people can exist and thrive with autonomy while tearing down barriers and building bridges through storytelling,” Jackie Taylor said. “Our Board of Directors and capital campaign committee have been diligent in raising more than 80 percent of the funds needed to build the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center and we look forward to working with our patrons, community leaders and supporters to secure the $3 million needed to complete this important project.”
Lebron James in Chicago? Chicago theater stars fight for him
The Stars of Chicago’s Theater District
Fight for Lebron!!
Cesar Corrales from Billy Elliot the Musical
Eric Petersen as Shrek from Shrek the Musical
Goodman to give Chicagoland servicemen free tickets for final performance of “Christmas Carol”
Chicagoland servicemen ring in the new year at the Goodman
WITH FREE TICKETS TO A CHRISTMAS CAROL ON DECEMBER 31
To celebrate the brave men and women in the armed forces, Goodman Theatre will provide over 500 free tickets to its closing day performance of A Christmas Carol on New Years Day (2pm). The local servicemen and their families invited to attend include companies deploying to Afghanistan in January. The audience will be rocking to the holiday spirit with the music of Chicago band, Fair Herald, in the Goodman’s lobby prior to the performance. Community Day is coordinated by Goodman Theatre Director of Education and Community Engagement and U.S. Navy veteran Willa J. Taylor.
"There’s not a single person on the Goodman’s staff or stage who does not recognize the tremendous sacrifices military families make each day," said Willa J. Taylor, Director of Education and Community Engagement. "It is especially difficult during the holidays; as a U.S. Navy vet, I understand it firsthand. This performance, this celebration is just one small thing Goodman could do to say ‘thank you’ to all the men and women serving their country both here and abroad, and to support the families who love them."
BET presents its 5th-Annual Black Playwrights Festival
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Black Ensemble Theater presents
The 5th-Annual Black Playwrights Festival
DECEMBER 7-14, 2009
Jackie Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Black Ensemble Theater, is proud to announce the 5th Annual Black Playwrights Festival, produced by the Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI). running from Monday, December 7 through Monday, December 14, 2009.
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The Black Playwrights Festival was created by playwright Jackie Taylor to provide adequate exposure to the members of the Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI), offer a professional platform to have members’ works produced, and bring attention to the high quality of work that African American playwrights from Chicago have to offer. The BPI is a program created and developed by Taylor for the purpose of highlighting Chicago’s rich community of African American playwrights and to help strengthen the pool of Chicago playwrights by providing a forum for play readings, year round classes, workshops and resources. Additionally, the BPI was created to provide a continuum of scripts for the Black Ensemble Theater, helping to expose playwrights on both a local and national level.
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Highlights of the Black Playwrights Festival include readings of “Nothin but the Blues” written by Joe Plummer and David Barr; “The Dancesical”, a play performed through dance choreographed by Rueben Echoles; and “The Clark Sisters” written by Dawn Bless Mitchell.
All performances will take place at the Black Ensemble Theater, 4520 N. Beacon St. Single tickets are $10.00 per night. A “Playwrights Pass” can be purchased for $30.00 and can be used for entrance to any night. Valet Parking is available for $8.00.
Below the fold is a complete schedule for the 5th Annual Black Playwrights Festival. All plays are works in progress and the first acts will be the only acts presented for the reading. Audiences will have the opportunity to discuss each reading with the writers and offer feedback and reaction to each work.
Raven Theatre takes action again school violence
RAVEN THEATRE TAKES ACTION AGAINST SCHOOL VIOLENCE
A Bird of Prey
Written by Jim Grimsley
Directed by Mechelle Moe and Sullivan High School teacher Stefanie Rivera
Presented in coordination with students from Sullivan High School
Wednesday, December 16 at 6:00 p.m.
No charge for admission (more info)
In a groundbreaking community event, Raven Theatre and students from Sullivan High School join forces to take a stand against school violence with the one night show, A Bird of Prey. Over twenty students are participating in this production in a brave step toward neutralizing the violent forces lurking in their own school in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
A Bird of Prey is an educational theatre piece that discusses the lives of today’s youth and the harsh realities they face every day. From difficult situations at home to blatant cruelty from their peers, this play brings to light the extreme danger and inevitable isolation felt by teenagers.
In a tumultuous and frightening year for Chicago Public School students, this Raven Theatre outreach event gives a voice to students whose everyday lives are effected by school violence. Sullivan students present scenes from the play A Bird of Prey, as well as pieces they’ve written on topics of exclusion, violence and community.
The primary goal of this outreach is to shift the source of dialogue from parents and local politicians to the teenagers who are directly effected by violent events – discussing their fears in a safe environment and empowering them to be proponents for change in their own neighborhoods. The evening’s events are sure to resonate throughout the community, not only bringing awareness to this horrifying situation but elevating these students past the label of "victim", giving them the support they need to play a part in a positive, proactive solution.
