Up Next: Dancing About Architecture: A Live Reading of Playing By Heart

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its live movie readings with Dancing About Architecture: A Live Reading of Playing By Heart on Thursday, April 24, 2024.

Join us at 7 p.m. at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), as we take a martini in each hand and toast to the new us!

Playing By Heart is a 1998 American comedy-drama film which tells the story of several seemingly unconnected characters in Los Angeles. Among the characters are an older couple, who are about to renew their wedding vows; a theatre director and architect navigating a new beginning; a young woman looking for a good time; a gay man dying of AIDS and his mother who had not been close; a couple having an affair and her husband who is exploring ways to break through the staleness of their marriage. It has an all-star cast of Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Connery, Anthony Edwards, Angelina Jolie, Ryan Phillippe, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Jon Stewart and Madeleine Stowe.

The live reading is directed by Christine Marie.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

Up Next: Cinema Chaos and The Room

March brings a new addition to the Ghostlight Live Movie Reading experience: Cinema Chaos.

Cinema Chaos is a monthly unrehearsed movie reading series that joins our ongoing staged movie reading series bringing audiences two movies a month — one rehearsed and well-acted and the other…complete and utter chaos.

A group of actors who have never seen the movie in question show up unrehearsed and uncast to perform the script with only 5 minutes to prepare. Roles will be cast at the start of the reading. To kick off the series on Thursday, March 14, Ghostlight will present our live, unseen and unrehearsed version of The Room — the greatest worst movie our actors have never seen.

Join us at Black Eagle Club, 1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613, for this experiment gone horribly…right? Performance begins at 7 p.m. but come early if you want a good seat and to watch the character selection process (which will happen around 6:45 p.m.) Food and drink available for purchase at Black Eagle as well.

Actors for The Room are: Lilly Apostolou, Bee Argento, Nick Conrad, Marianna Gallegos, Steffen Garcia, Allison McCorkle, Holly Robison, Olivia Sieck and Chad Wise.

Suffrage Takes Center Stage in Ghostlight's Plays For Women! This Wednesday

Rehearsals for Lady Geraldine’s Speech by Beatrice Harraden.

Ghostlight Ensemble returns to the Richard H. Driehaus Museum this week with Plays for Women!: A collection of overlooked suffrage plays.

Though once a vital part of the suffrage movement, these four short works are rarely performed in modern day. Plays for Women! is a co-production with the Driehaus Museum that coincides with March as Women’s History Month and is part of Ghostlight's For Your (Re)Consideration series.

“These little-known American and British suffrage plays are excellent examples of thought-provoking and entertaining plays that are still shockingly relevant to our current environment. Encountering these plays – written in the early 20th century – more than a 100 years later, illuminates the issues we are still fighting for, the barriers that still exist and the arguments still used to justify oppression,” said director Holly Robison.

Suffrage theatre was a form of dramatic literature which emerged during the suffrage movement in the early 20th century, particularly in Great Britain, but here at home organizations such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) also viewed theater as an effective way to highlight women’s issues and spread pro-suffrage sentiment.

Pro-suffrage plays often featured strong female characters who were intelligent and well-informed voters who spent the majority of their time on stage dispelling stereotypes perpetuated by the anti-suffrage movement. The plays themselves were written so as to be more widely performed with no set and few props.  

The works which are part of Plays for Women! vary widely in tone, from an incisive social problem play to a farce-like comedy. They are:

• Something to Vote For by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: A short play by the famed American feminist author that follows a women’s club meeting whose members must face real-world implications and consequences when women are denied a voice in policy making and government. The play touches on issues of feminism, as well as classism, capitalism and consumerism that are still relevant today. Cast: Maria Burnham as Dr. Strong, Sera Young as Mrs. Carroll, Juliana Zepeda as Mrs. Reedway, Sydney Ray as Mrs. O’Shane, Jessye Mueller as Mr. Arnold, Christine Marie as Mr. Billings and Squeek Rangel as Miss Carrie Turner and Holly Robison as narrator and additional voices.

• An Anti-Suffragist, or, The Other Side by H.M. Paull: A humous satirical monologue from a privileged young lady who looks to be active in the anti-suffrage movement. She attempts to persuade the audience to her side but in actuality, makes a deeply comical and revealing argument against herself. Cast: Maria Burnham as Chairwoman and Holly Robison as Miss De Lacey.

• The Mother’s Meeting by Mrs. Harlow Phibbs: Another comic monologue, but this one is delivered from a working-class character who pokes holes in the anti-suffrage arguments made by upper and middle-class women of privilege. The woman inadvertently attends an anti-suffrage meeting and recounts how she ultimately makes a resounding speech in favor of suffrage and women’s rights. Cast: Squeek Rangel as Mrs. Puckle.

• Lady Geraldine’s Speech by Beatrice Harraden: A comic short play about the troubles of Lady Geraldine, who agrees to give an anti-suffrage speech despite never having contemplated the issue seriously. She seeks out the help of her friend. At the home of this friend Lady Geraldine encounters women of multiple professions that she admires who convince her of the merits of the suffragist movement. Cast: Juliana Zepeda as Lady Geraldine, Jessye Mueller as Dr. Alice, Maria Burnham as Gertrude Silberthwaite, Sydney Ray as Nora Baillie, Christine Marie as Hilda Crowninshield and Sera Young as Nellie Grant.

 “These plays are overlooked historical gems that modern audiences will find surprisingly familiar,” Robison said.

 Plays for Women!: A collection of overlooked suffrage plays is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Nickerson Ballroom at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum (40 East Erie St., Chicago, IL 60611). Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. The reading runs about 90 minutes with an intermission. A brief talkback will follow. Tickets are available through the Driehaus Museum at https://driehausmuseum.org/programs/detail/plays-for-women. Please note that due to ongoing renovations, there is no elevator available to the Nickerson Ballroom.

Plays for Women! Is part of Ghostlight’s For Your (Re)Consideration series, which explores the works of historically overlooked female writers. Featuring a variety of distinct voices and styles from different historical periods, the readings seek to bring attention to these remarkable women who have been sidelined by history for reasons that had nothing to do with their talent and everything to do with their gender and, in many cases, their race.

For Women's History Month: Plays for Women! at the Driehaus Museum in March

Ghostlight Ensemble presents Plays for Women!: A collection of overlooked suffrage plays — a reading of short suffrage works, most of them largely unknown and rarely performed, to coincide with March as Women’s History Month. This is a co-production with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum and is part of Ghostlight's For Your (Re)Consideration series.

The reading takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, in the Nickerson Ballroom at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum (40 East Erie St., Chicago, IL 60611).

The short works that make up Plays for Women! are: Something to Vote For by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, An Anti-Suffragist or the Other Side by H.M. Paull, The Mother’s Meeting by Mrs. Harlow Phibbs and Lady Geraldine’s Speech by Beatrice Harraden.

The reading is directed by Ensemble member Holly Robison and runs about 90 minutes with an intermission. A brief talkback will follow.

Cinema Chaos coming in June

Announcing the newest addition to our live movie reading series: Cinema Chaos! What is Cinema Chaos, you ask?

Eight actors who have never seen the movie in question show up unrehearsed and uncast to perform the script with only 5 minutes to prepare. Roles will be cast at the start of the reading.

Readings take place on Thursdays beginning March 2024 at the Black Eagle Club in Chicago. It joins our rehearsed live reading series to bring you two movies a month. For Cinema Chaos, donations of any amount will be accepted at the door. Seating is first come, first serve. Drinks and food will be available for purchase at Black Eagle.  

First up: The Room on Thursday, March 14. Which The Room? Show up and see. (Or join our mailing list, if you haven’t already, by sending your name, email address and zip code to info@ghostlightensemble.com)

Up Next: A Live Reading of The Big Sleep

Ghostlight Ensemble continues its monthly movie reading series in 2024 with Such a Lot of Guns and So Few Brains: A Live Reading of The Big Sleep on Thursday, February 15.

Join us at 7 p.m. at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), as we raise our glass of brandy with champagne to this headscratcher of a detective story and try to figure out whodunnit.

The Big Sleep is a 1946 American film noir starring Humphrey Bogart as wisecracking private detective Philip Marlowe and Lauren Bacall as Vivian Rutledge in a story that begins with blackmail and through a series of complicated plot twists leads to multiple murders.

More information is available on the show page.

Ghostlight welcomes new member to its Ensemble

Theatre practitioner and artist Christine Marie has joined Ghostlight Ensemble.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Marie was last seen as Ada in The Edge of Play, as part of Ghostlight’s Make/Believe festival and as a vendor at the Holiday Cabernet holiday market. In addition to acting and visual arts, Marie is also a writer, director, producer, stage manager and designer. Since moving to Chicago, she has also written, directed and starred in 2 Idiots in a Haunted House for Rhino Fest, as well as working behind the scenes on numerous productions, including staffing box office, stage managing and designing sets. 

To learn more about Marie, and all our Ensemble members on the About Us: The Ensemble page of our website.

Up Next: A live reading of The Breakfast Club

Ghostlight Ensemble kicks off a new year of live movie readings with Does Barry Manilow Know That You Raid His Wardrobe?" A Live Reading of The Breakfast Club on Thursday, January 25, 2024.

Join us at 7 p.m. at Black Eagle Club (1938 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60613), as we sneak some cigs in the supply closet and agree that Ally Sheedy looked much better before her “makeover”.

The Breakfast Club is the era-defining, classic 1985 American teen coming-of-age film written, produced and directed by John Hughes. Five strangers, with seemingly nothing in common, end up together in Saturday detention and throughout the course of the day shed their personae and emerge into unlikely friendships.

The live reading is directed by Chad Wise.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

Ghostlight kicks off its 7th season with return of the Holiday Cabernet

The Holiday Cabernet is back for a fifth year on Sunday, December 17. Enjoy an evening of holiday classics (or not-so-classics) by favorite G.E.T. performers and emerging artists in a cabaret-style setting with a pair of hosts who may or may not be toasted.

In year five, we will once again offer the popular holiday vendor area so you can do some holiday shopping in addition to indulging in the holiday cheer. We’ll have everything from earth-friendly candles and funky and fun jewelry to local authors and sweet treats. While you browse, don’t forget to get your Sloshed Snaps with Santa for all your holiday Insta feed needs (Santa is the sloshed one, though maybe you will be too…no judgement here.)

This year’s hosts will be Ensemble members Justin Broom and Jean E. Mueller-Burr – both fabulous performers in their own right, as well as hilarious guides for this holiday merriment.

Acts that will be performing this year include: Improvised Jane Austen, poet Khloe Janel, stand-up comedian James Fisher Jr., drag performer Degrassi Knoll and singer-songwriters svnflwrchld x malizabeth.

More information about these performers and our vendors, as well as parking and transportation options, is available on the Holiday Cabernet Show Page.

The fifth (not annual, because THANKS COVID) Holiday Cabernet takes place at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro (3905 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60613) at 6 p.m. on Sunday, December 17. Tickets are $20 and available in advance on our website or via Eventbrite.

G.E.T. into the holiday spirits and join us for a night of song, dance, theatre, good cheer and revelry. G.E.T. yule holiday fun on!

Up Next: A live reading of two episodes of Star Trek

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live reading series: Q the Tribbles: A live reading of episodes of Star Trek & Star Trek the Next Generation.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 14, at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), as make a slight departure from our usual movie reading to bring you some out of this world television.

The reading will feature the episodes The Trouble with Tribbles from the original Star Trek series and Deja Q from Star Trek the Next Generation.

Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. Both series feature a mixed alien and human crew traveling through space aboard the starship Enterprise with the mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. The original series, created in the 1960s, is set in the 23rd century. The Next Generation, which began in the late 1980s, is set in the 24th century.

The reading is directed by Nick Conrad.

Food and drink are available for purchase at Black Eagle Club.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

Up Next: A live reading of My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series: That’s OK, I Make Lamb: A live reading of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 24, at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), as stuff ourselves with roasted meats and ouzo to celebrate the cinematic union of Greek and Xenos! (In advance of the September release of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3!)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 romantic comedy about a 30-something Greek woman who yearns for something more than her family and culture’s prescribed notions that Greek girls are supposed to do three things in life: “Marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and feed everyone...until the day we die.” When she falls in love with a non-Greek, she struggles to get her family to accept him while coming to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

The reading is directed by Maria Burnham.

Food and drink are available for purchase at Black Eagle Club.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

Up Next: A live reading of Drop Dead Gorgeous

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series: The Most Smartest: A live reading of Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), as we toast the most beautiful woman in Mount Rose, Minnesota, who definitely, probably will not die. Maybe.

Drop Dead Gorgeous is a 1999 mockumentary that follows a small town beauty pageant and the fierce, deadly lengths the contestants will take to secure the crown. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Brittany Murphy, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, and Amy Adams in her film debut.

The reading is directed by Christopher Paul Mueller.

Food and drink are available for purchase at Black Eagle Club.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

Up Next: A live reading of But I'm a Cheerleader

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series in celebration of Pride Month: I Like Girls. A Lot.: A live reading of But I'm a Cheerleader.

Join us at 7 p.m. this Thursday — June 15 — at the Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), and we’ll raise a glass of something pink and fruity and not at all gay to this 1999 American satire/ teen romantic comedy/ cult classic.

But I'm a Cheerleader stars Natasha Lyonne as Megan Bloomfield, a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a residential in-patient conversion therapy camp to "cure" her lesbianism. At camp, Megan realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and embraces her sexuality.

The cast is: Jean E. Mueller-Burr (Megan), Rachel Warnick (Graham), Justin Broom (Mike), Hannah Compton (Mary), Maria White (Hilary) with Skye Corey, Franki Levenson-Campanale, Lotus Lindez and Sebastian Summers. The reading is directed by Kayla V. White and Justin Broom.

Food and drink are available for purchase at Black Eagle Club.  

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season. We’ll also be collecting donations for The Center on Halsted’s Senior Pantry & Youth Services. The full list of needed items can be found here. Bring an item or $$$ is always welcome.

Power of believing in one’s self takes center stage for theatre festival for young audiences

An ant who wishes to explore the world beyond her family’s territory, a grandmother and granddaughter superhero duo and a helpful house spirit are among the cast of characters found in the fourth installment of Ghostlight Ensemble’s Make/Believe short play festival for young audiences this year.

 Ghostlight is excited to feature five new plays for young audience members to enjoy this summer with their family and friends, said festival producer Caryn Brieschke. For the first time more than half the plays are by local playwrights.

 “These stories are fun for children to watch, but are also crucial to helping them understand the increasingly complex feelings they develop as they grow older and providing them with tools to deal with complicated situations they may find themselves in,” Brieschke added.

 Filled with the power of believing in yourself, new adventures and family bonds, the five stories that make up this year’s festival are filled with characters who face the types of struggles modern children will recognize from their own lives. 

 This year’s plays include:

 ·                The Thing That Comes to the Basement is written by Chicago playwright Lori Taylor and directed by Lo Williams. In The Thing That Comes to the Basement, Camilla Antie, an 8-year-old ant, discovers that just because someone looks different than you, does not mean they are frightening or that they cannot become your friend. Starring: Sydney Ray, Toma Lynn Smith and Hannah Strauss.

·                Hannah and Halmoni Save the World! is written by Chicago playwright Juliet Kang Huneke and is directed by Karina Patel. By day, Hannah is a 7-year-old girl who lives with her Korean American grandma. But by night, grandma transforms into a SUPERHERO named Halmoni (that’s the Korean word for grandma, if you were wondering)! But when it’s Hannah’s turn to be the hero, not the sidekick, can she step up and save the day? Hannah and Halmoni Save the World champions asking for help, self-forgiveness and super awesome theme songs for the young AND old among us. Starring: Rick Hilscher, Kristen Lin Waagner and Emily Zhang.

·                The Edge of Play is written by Utah playwright Janine Sobeck Knighton and directed by Eileen Tull. The Edge of Play tells the story of Ada, an imaginative 8-year-old girl who loves slides but gets really nervous around other kids. With help from her unique friend Mo, she learns that it’s OK to need a little extra help and support to do the things that scare you the most. Starring: Christine Marie and Kaela Rosenbaum.

·                Finding Belief is written by Portland playwright Kwik Jones and directed by Kate Sullivan Coombs. Even with encouragement from her father, Ivy, a young girl discouraged by her tennis match losses, lives in a world of doubt – that is until Dunlop, her tennis racket, comes to life and ushers her on a short journey to rescue her Belief from the evil tennis ball, Doubt. Ivy must find courage to save Belief. With the help of the audience will Ivy find and save Belief? Starring: Alexis Aranda, Josh Bomba, Nick Conrad and Rissa Montañez.

·                Guardian of the House (Τόπακας) is written by Chicago playwright and Ghostlight Ensemble Member Maria Burnham and directed by Whitney Minarik. A young girl, tired of all the new chores she has to do since her little sister arrived, learns the value of family and sticking together from the genii of her house. Steeped in Greek folklore, Guardian of the House will feature traditional Hellenic storytelling and puppetry. Starring Rose Leisner and Gina Sanfillipo.

Make/Believe is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 27; Sunday, May 28; Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4, at 1:30 p.m. at NorthCenter Town Square (4100 N. Damen Ave., Chicago).

All five plays will be produced on each day of the festival at the NorthCenter Town Square – an outdoor space in the heart of the NorthCenter neighborhood. Audience members are encouraged to bring their own chairs and picnics. The show is free, but donations are always appreciated. However, some limited reserve seating is available via Eventbrite.

Make/Believe is produced by Caryn Brieschke and is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and by support from the NorthCenter Chamber of Commerce. More information will be available on our website at www.ghostlightensemble.com/make-believe-2023.

Make/Believe is part of Ghostlight’s Nightlight young audience series, which features original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them. Ghostlight believes theatre can be a beacon for children, letting them know they aren’t alone in the world, giving them a sense of security and revealing the truth that in stories they can be anything they want to be. You’re never too young – or too old – for a nightlight.

Ghostlight Ensemble is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit theatre whose mission it is to ask questions that challenge the status quo through timeless stories, immersive environments and unconventional staging. As an ensemble-based theatre, Ghostlight is made up of individual artists who are dedicated to collaborative creation and committed to working together consistently over years to develop a distinctive body of work. We welcome you to learn more about us at GhostlightEnsemble.com.

Up Next: A live reading of The Lost Boys

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series: All The Damn Vampires: A Live Reading of The Lost Boys.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), and we’ll raise a Bloody Mary (heavy on the bloody) to this vamp-filled teen horror classic! You may also be forced to eat maggots — remains to be seen.

The Lost Boys is a 1987 American supernatural black comedy horror film directed by Joel Schumacher about a divorced mom and her two sons who move to a California beach town only to discover the local teenage gang is a pack of vampires.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

More details, including cast, are available on the show page.

Up Next: A live reading of Zoolander

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series: Really, Really, Ridiculously Good Looking: A Live Reading of Zoolander.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), and we’ll raise a orange mocha frappuccino to this eugoogly classic!

Zoolander is a 2001 American comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. Clueless fashion model Derek Zoolander is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia, who wants to stop the fashion industry from using cheap labor in his country.

For those willing to participate, “celebrity” roles and accompanying lines will be assigned to audiences members upon arrival. Come take part in the reading with us!

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

More details are available on the Zoolander show page.

Up Next: A live reading of The Big Lebowski

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series: The Dude Abides: A Live Reading of The Big Lebowski.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), and we’ll raise a White Russian to this Coen Brothers classic!

The Big Lebowski is a 1998 crime comedy film written, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. All Jeff ‘the Dude’ Lebowski wants to do is go bowling, but when he’s mistaken for L.A. millionaire — the titular Big Lebowski — and a pair of thugs pee on his rug, he’s forced to take action. And so the laziest man in Los Angeles County takes on nihilists, ferrets and empire tycoons, guzzling White Russians all the while.

Cast:

Jeff ‘the Dude’ Lebowski: Nick Conrad
Walter Sobchak: Chad Wise
Maude Lebowski: Jill Meyer
Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos: Johnny Moran
The Big Lebowski: Kiel Walker
Ensemble: Christopher Paul Mueller, Jean E. Mueller-Burr, Shantelle Rose Robbel and Naomi Waxman

The reading is directed by John Gleason Teske.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season.

Seeking directors for 2023 short play festival for young audiences

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking directors for its fourth annual Make/Believe festival for young audiences set for live, outdoor performances in May and June.

The festival will feature five short plays written by playwrights from Chicago and around the country. A summary of the scripts is available on the 2023 Make/Believe page.

In particular we are seeking Korean American, Greek American and Black directors, but encourage all BIPOC and LBGTQIA+ directors to apply. We welcome early career directors or actors interested in branching into directing and will provide a company mentor to help you through the process.

Rehearsals will be scheduled around cast and director availability.

A technical rehearsal is scheduled for May 25 from 5 to 10 p.m. (Pieces will be scheduled so directors will not be required to attend the entire tech.) Tech and performance will take place outside at the NorthCenter Town Square.

Performances are Saturday & Sunday May 27-28 and Saturday & Sunday June 3-4 (Tentative schedule: Set up at 12:30 p.m., Performance at 1:30 p.m. Load out by 4 p.m.).

Directors will receive a $50 stipend.

Interested directors should submit a resume and a statement of interest with any additional relevant experience to Caryn Brieschke at info@ghostlightensemble.com. Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Nightlight Festival - [director’s name]

The deadline for submissions is April 1.

Announcing the plays of Make/Believe 2023!

An ant who wishes to explore the world beyond her family’s territory, a grandmother and granddaughter superhero duo and a helpful house spirit are among the cast of characters found in the fourth installment of Ghostlight Ensemble’s Make/Believe short play festival for young audiences this year.

Ghostlight is excited to feature five new plays for young audience members to enjoy this summer with their family and friends, said festival producer Caryn Brieschke. For the first time more than half the plays are by local playwrights.

“These stories are fun for children to watch, but are also crucial to helping them understand the increasingly complex feelings they develop as they grow older and providing them with tools to deal with complicated situations they may find themselves in,” Brieschke added.

Filled with the power of believing in yourself, new adventures and family bonds, the five stories that make up this year’s festival are filled with characters who face the types of struggles modern children will recognize from their own lives. 

This year’s plays include:

• The Thing That Comes to the Basement by Chicago playwright Lori Taylor, whose work will be familiar to past Make/Believe audiences, as she’s been a part of all our previous festivals. In The Thing That Comes to the Basement, Camilla Antie, an 8-year-old ant, discovers that just because someone looks different than you, does not mean they are frightening or that they cannot become your friend.

• Hannah and Halmoni Save the World! by Chicago playwright Juliet Kang Huneke. By day, Hannah is a 7-year-old girl who lives with her Korean American grandma. But by night, grandma transforms into a SUPERHERO named Halmoni (that’s the Korean word for grandma, if you were wondering)! But when it’s Hannah’s turn to be the hero, not the sidekick, can she step up and save the day? Hannah and Halmoni Save the World champions asking for help, self-forgiveness and super awesome theme songs for the young AND old among us.

• The Edge of Play by Provo, Utah, playwright Janine Sobeck Knighton. The Edge of Play tells the story of Ada, an imaginative 8-year-old girl who loves slides but gets really nervous around other kids. With help from her unique friend Mo, she learns that it’s OK to need a little extra help and support to do the things that scare you the most.

• Finding Belief by Portland playwright Kwik Jones. Even with encouragement from her father, Ivy, a young girl discouraged by her tennis match losses, lives in a world of doubt – that is until Dunlop, her tennis racket, comes to life and ushers her on a short journey to rescue her Belief from the evil tennis ball, Doubt. Ivy must find courage to save Belief. With the help of the audience will Ivy find and save Belief?

• Guardian of the House (Τόπακας) by Chicago playwright and Ghostlight Ensemble Member Maria Burnham. A young girl, tired of all the new chores she has to do since her little sister arrived, learns the value of family and sticking together from the genii of her house. Steeped in Greek folklore, Guardian of the House will feature traditional Hellenic storytelling and puppetry.

Make/Believe is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 27; Sunday, May 28; Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4, at 1:30 p.m. at NorthCenter Town Square (4100 N. Damen Ave., Chicago).

All five plays will be produced on each day of the festival at the NorthCenter Town Square – an outdoor space in the heart of the NorthCenter neighborhood. Some seating will be available, but audience members are encouraged to bring their own chairs and picnics. The show is free, but donations are always appreciated.

Make/Believe is produced by Caryn Brieschke and is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and by support from the NorthCenter Chamber of Commerce.

Make/Believe is part of Ghostlight’s Nightlight young audience series, which features original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them.

More information will be available on the Make/Believe show page.

Ghostlight joins with Driehaus Museum to present 'The Shadow of A Doubt' in March

Ghostlight joins with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in March to present a staged reading of the recently rediscovered play, The Shadow of A Doubt, by novelist Edith Wharton. The play is part of our For Your (Re)Consideration series that explores the works of historically overlooked female writers.

Set at the turn of the twentieth century, The Shadow of a Doubt, explores the issues surrounding social position, remarriage, the roles of women and euthanasia. Replete with Wharton’s trademark wit and skewering of Gilded Age manners, the play centers around nurse Kate Tredennis, who marries John Derwent, a widower of one of Kate’s former patients and friends. Elevated into society through her marriage, Kate is a model wife and stepmother, but she feels uneasy with her new position and faces constant scrutiny for her lowlier background. Soon, her unease is manifested when a man from her past casts suspicion on Kate and accuses her in the first Mrs. Derwent’s death.

The reading runs about 90 minutes with an intermission. A brief talkback will follow.

More information is available on our show page here, and on the Driehaus Museum’s website here.