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.

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.

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.

Popular movie reading series returns with Clue: The Movie

After a forced hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghostlight Ensemble is bringing back its popular live movie reading series. First up in February is Flames on the Side of My Face: A Live Reading of Clue.

Ghostlight’s movie reading series combines our love of theater and movies into one night of fun. The staged readings of our favorite films goes to support our mission and other non-profits around the city. We’ve been doing this since 2017 and we’re excited to G.E.T. back to adding a little Ghostlight flare to the films you think you know so well.

Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), and make sure you bring your fedora and magnifying glass!

Clue: The Movie is a 1985 murder mystery/dark comedy film based on the board game of the same name. Six blackmail victims are invited to an isolated mansion by a man who knows a dark secret from each of their pasts. Each has a pseudonym and is handed a weapon, at which point the lights are switched off and the person believed to be their blackmailer is killed. Can the guests uncover the murderer before they all become victims? Note: Since this performance is only one night, we will feature all three theatrical endings à la the video release.

Cast:
Wadsworth: Ethan Carlson
Mrs. White: Jean E. Mueller-Burr
Miss Scarlet: Miona Lee
Mrs. Peacock: Katharine Jordan
Col. Mustard: Reid Henry
Prof. Plum: Sean Harklerode
Mr. Green: Nick Conrad
Mr. Boddy/Cop/Motorist: John Rohr
Yvette/Cook/Singing Telegram: Marianna Gallegos
Evangelist/Chief: Chad Wise

Learn more on the show page.