Ghostlight ETC

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Production Manager needed for 'Alabama Story'

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Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Production Manager for its fall production of Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones. Alabama Story is based on the true story in the 1950s about an Alabama State Librarian facing an effort to ban a children’s book about a white bunny and a black bunny who get married. This is a timely and moving story that weaves together historical occurrences with fictional characters to drive home the real-world implications of censorship and book-banning that we still face today.

Production Manager can work primarily virtually, with attendance at in-person designer run and select tech week rehearsals. Please note that this production will be at site-specific locations, so there will be fewer design and tech elements/roles to coordinate than in a traditional venue. There is an opportunity to combine this role with Stage Manager for an increased stipend.

Key Dates
Production Schedule:

Rehearsals in September 2024. 3-4 rehearsals/week on weeknights or weekend days, to be scheduled according to cast availability. Production planning will likely begin in August.

Tech week: Sunday,  September 22 in the afternoon and Monday, September 23 through Thursday September 26 in the evenings

Performances: show will run Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon matinees from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, October 20, 2024, at site specific locations in Chicago.

Instructions to Apply:

To be considered, please send resume to Holly Robison, holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Pay Rate/Range*: $200 stipend

Organization Contact Name: Holly Robison

Organization Email Contact: holly@ghostlightensemble.com

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Stage Manager Needed for 'Alabama Story'

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Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Stage Manager for its fall production of Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones. Alabama Story is based on the true story in the 1950s about an Alabama State Librarian facing an effort to ban a children’s book about a white bunny and a black bunny who get married. This is a timely and moving story that weaves together historical occurrences with fictional characters to drive home the real-world implications of censorship and book-banning that we still face today.

Stage Manager will attend all rehearsals and performances. There is an opportunity to combine this role with Production Manager for an increased stipend.

Key Dates
Production Schedule:

Rehearsals in September 2024. 3-4 rehearsals/week on weeknights or weekend days, to be scheduled according to cast availability.

Tech week: Sunday,  September 22 in the afternoon and Monday, September 23 through Thursday September 26 in the evenings.

Performances: show will run Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon matinees from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, October 20, 2024.

Please note that performances will be held at two site specific locations: After-Words Bookstore Event Space, 23 E. Illinois, Chicago, IL 60611 (6 performances) September 27-29 and October 4-6 (6 performances) and Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena, Chicago, IL 60613 October 11-13 and October 18-20 (6 performances).

Instructions to Apply:

To be considered, please send resume to Holly Robison, holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Pay Rate/Range*: $300 stipend

Organization Contact Name: Holly Robison

Organization Email Contact: holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Up Next: Cinema Chaos: Birdemic: Shock and Terror

Cinema Chaos is a monthly unrehearsed movie reading series that joins our ongoing monthly 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.

In June we’ll be doing that modern classic independent romantic thriller-horror film: Birdemic: Shock and Terror. (Stay tuned for sequels Birdemic 2: The Resurrection and Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle because you can never have too much Birdemic!)

Never seen Birdemic? Neither have we! That's the point. Come have fun with us -- theatre doesn't always have to be serious! 

The Birdemic cast is: Nile Arena, Becca Argento, Jackie Baker, Billy Bronson, Jean E. Mueller-Burr and Dennis Davies.

Readings take place at the Black Eagle Club in Chicago.

Up Next: Khaaaaaaaaan: A Live Reading of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its live movie readings with Khaaaaaaaaan: A Live Reading of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Join us at 7 p.m. at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), as we raise a Romulan Ale to what is arguably the best Star Trek movie ever made!

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film based on the television series Star Trek. It is the second film in the series following Star Trek: The Motion Picture and serves as  a sequel to the television episode “Space Seed” (1967). In The Wrath of Khan, Admiral James T. Kirk and the crew of the starship Enterprise facing off against the genetically engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (played with unforgettable élan by Ricardo Montalbán) who has escaped from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk.

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.

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Up Next: Cinema Chaos and The Room

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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.

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

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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.

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Cinema Chaos coming in June

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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.

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

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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!