Alabama Story opens this weekend!

Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones – a drama about censorship, book banning and Civil Rights – opens during Banned Books Week on Let Freedom Read Day, Saturday, September 28.

Let Freedom Read Day is a day of action with a call for everyone who stands against book banning to take at least one action to help defend books from censorship. Ghostlight is proud to stand up for the library staff, educators, writers, publishers and booksellers who make books available to all. Learn more about Banned Books week (September 22-28) and Let Freedom Read Day at https://bannedbooksweek.org/let-freedom-read-day.

Alabama Story is a fictional play based on very real events that took place in 1950s Alabama when a children’s book called The Rabbits’ Wedding by illustrator Garth Williams (known for his work on Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and Little House on the Prairie) was released. The book tells of two little rabbits – one white, one black – who decide to get married. Though not intended to be political, the book caused a firestorm in the Segregationist South with calls to ban and even burn the book.

 The play, set in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama, is the story of a segregationist senator (the fictional-characterization-based-on-a-real-person, Sen. E.W. Higgins) and the state librarian (based on a very real Emily Wheelock Reed) who clash over the content of a children’s book about bunny rabbits. The play contrasts that story with a reunion of childhood friends — a Black man and a woman of white privilege — providing a private counterpoint to the public events swirling in the state capital.

 Alabama Story is set within the framework of 1950s racial tensions that parallels the issues facing America today as book bans and book challenges overwhelm libraries and schools across the nation.

The immersive show also marks the company’s return to mainstage productions since the global COVID-19 Pandemic brought arts organizations and productions around the world to a halt in 2020.

“We have an amazing project and the cast is truly fantastic,” Director Holly Robison said. “I cannot wait for audiences to see the excellent performances that are sure to elevate an already meaty, timely script,”

 The cast includes two Ensemble Members, Co-Artistic Director Justin Broom as Thomas Franklin and Maria Burnham as Emily Wheelock Reed. Rounding out the cast is Scott Olson as Garth Williams, Tom Goodwin as Sen. E.W. Higgins, Khnemu Menu-Ra as Joshua Moore and Haley Basil as Lily Whitfield. Understudies include Adrian Campbell, Mary Jordan, Allison McCorkle and Derek Preston Ray. Ensemble Member and Co-Artistic Director Holly Robison directs. (Bios available at www.ghostlightensemble.com/alabama-story-bios.)

The production takes place at two site-specific, book-centric locations: After-Words Bookstore (23 E. Illinois St., Chicago) and Haymarket Books at Haymarket House (800 W Buena Ave, Chicago). There is a preview performance on Friday, September 27 at After-Words Bookstore, followed by performances on Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 4-6, 2024. Performances at Haymarket Books are Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with an average donation of $25, and are available at https://ghostlightensembletheatreco.thundertix.com/. More information about the show can be found at https://www.ghostlightensemble.com/alabama-story.

Ghostlight Ensemble acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Alabama Story is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.

Alabama Story featured in The Total Scene

Eric Schelkopf from The Total Scene (presenting the best of arts and entertainment in the Chicago area) recently sat down with Alabama Story director Holly Robison to discuss the play, Ghostlight’s return to mainstage productions, book bans and more.

“Part of our mission is to do timeless stories and to ask questions. And I think a story like this, even though it's set in the 1950s, shows that there's still sort of nothing new. It's still happening. It looks a little bit different, but in a lot of ways, it's the same.” - Holly Robison

Read the entire interview here.

Up Next: Been There, Done That: A Live Reading of She’s All That

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its live movie readings with Been There, Done That: A Live Reading of She’s All That on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

Join us at 7 p.m. at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613), as we raise a glass of that classic margarita — rum, orange juice, cranberry juice, and limeade, with a dash of cola — to celebrate this 90s teen rom-com!

She’s All That is a 1999 American film following that classic teen plot of turning an ugly duckling into a swan. When Zack's popular girlfriend cheats on him with another boy and breaks up with him, he makes a bet with his friends to turn a school “nerd” into their high school's prom queen.

The cast is:
Laney Boggs: Skylar Frishman
Zack Siler: Sam Campos
Ensemble: Lilly Apostolou, Maria Burnham, Nick Conrad, Allison Horvatin, Issa Polstein and Hope Prybylski.

The reading is directed by Olivia Sieck.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season. Food and drink is available for purchase at Black Eagle.

Cast announced for 'Alabama Story'

Clockwise from upper left: Tom Goodwin, Maria Burnham, Scott Olson, Khnemu Menu-Ra, Haley Basil and Justin Broom.

Ghostlight Ensemble is pleased to announce the cast of Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones– the company’s first mainstage show since the global COVID-19 Pandemic brought arts organizations and productions around the world to a halt in 2020.

The talented ensemble cast has a tremendous level of experience in both the theatre and film scene and will bring their talents to the stage starting in late September.

“This cast is truly fantastic, and I cannot wait to see the excellent performances that are sure to elevate an already meaty, timely script,” Robison said.

The cast includes two Ensemble Members, Co-Artistic Director Justin Broom as Thomas Franklin and Maria Burnham as Emily Wheelock Reed. Rounding out the cast is Scott Olson as Garth Williams, Tom Goodwin as Sen. E.W. Higgins, Khnemu Menu-Ra as Joshua Moore and Haley Basil as Lily Whitfield. Understudies include Adrian Campbell, Mary Jordan, Allison McCorkle and Derek Preston Ray. Ensemble Member and Co-Artistic Director Holly Robison directs.

Alabama Story is a fictional play based on very real events that took place in 1950s Alabama when a children’s book called The Rabbits’ Wedding by illustrator Garth Williams (known for his work on Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and Little House on the Prairie) was released. The book tells of two little rabbits – one white, one black – who decide to get married. Though not intended to be political, the book caused a firestorm in the Segregationist South with calls to ban and even burn the book.

The play, set in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama, is the story of a segregationist senator (the fictional-characterization-based-on-a-real-person, Sen. E.W. Higgins) and the state librarian (based on a very real Emily Wheelock Reed) who clash over the content of a children’s book about bunny rabbits. The play contrasts that story with a reunion of childhood friends — a Black man and a woman of white privilege — providing a private counterpoint to the public events swirling in the state capital.

Alabama Story is a drama about censorship, book banning and Civil Rights set within the framework of 1950s racial tensions that parallels the issues facing America today as book bans and book challenges overwhelm libraries and schools across the nation.

Ghostlight will open Alabama Story during Banned Books Week on Let Freedom Read Day, Saturday, September 28. Let Freedom Read Day is a day of action with a call for everyone who stands against book banning to take at least one action to help defend books from censorship. Ghostlight is proud to stand up for the library staff, educators, writers, publishers and booksellers who make books available to all. Learn more about Banned Books week (September 22-28) and Let Freedom Read Day at https://bannedbooksweek.org/let-freedom-read-day.

Alabama Story will take place at two site-specific, book-centric locations: After-Words Bookstore (23 E. Illinois St., Chicago) and Haymarket Books at Haymarket House (800 W Buena Ave, Chicago). There is a preview performance on Friday, September 27 at After-Words Bookstore, followed by performances on Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 4-6, 2024. Performances at Haymarket Books are Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with an average donation of $25, and are available at https://ghostlightensembletheatreco.thundertix.com/. More information about the show can be found at https://www.ghostlightensemble.com/alabama-story.

Ghostlight Ensemble acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Alabama Story is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.

Kick off August and our 8th Season with Karaoke (and us!)

We’re looking forward to serenading you with the sweet sounds of our karaoke powerhouse ballads at the Season 8 Kickoff on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at My Buddy’s. Tickets are pay-what-you-will, but the first 25 people to reserve tickets at the $10 or more level will G.E.T. a special Ghostlight Ensemble swag bag. (They’re going fast, though!)

We will be celebrating the start of our Eighth Season and long-awaited return to mainstage productions, starting with Alabama Story in September, as well as singing our hearts out for one and all. Actually, we’d prefer it if you sang. We might cause noise complaints from the neighbors.

Learn all about our new season, which includes new partnerships with other Chicago institutions, as well as rocking out to some karaoke courtesy of Championship Karaoke. We’ll have snacks and an open bar from 3-4 p.m., as well.

We’re also raising funds for our Season 8 programming, so we’ll be raffling off lots of great items from Chicago businesses.

The event takes place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, at My Buddy’s, 4416 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640.

Can’t come, but still want to support Ghostlight, financially? Donate here.

Up Next: Cinema Chaos: The Long Kiss Goodnight

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing Cinema Chaos series with the Geena Davis-Samuel L. Jackson action film The Long Kiss Goodnight on Wednesday, July 24 at Black Eagle Club in Chicago.

Cinema Chaos is our monthly unrehearsed movie reading series that partners with our ongoing monthly staged movie reading series to bring 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 The Long Kiss Goodnight, schoolteacher and single mother Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) lives an average suburban life, until a car accident and a news story start to trigger her memory. She hires detective Mitch Hennessy (Samuel L. Jackson) to investigate.

Come join the chaos!

Joins us in August as we Kickoff G.E.T.’s 8th Season

Ghostlight Ensemble invites you to join us for an afternoon of songs, drinks and general merriment at My Buddy’s to kick off our Eighth Season and long-awaited return to mainstage productions and a full season, post-COVID 19 pandemic!

We can’t wait to re-introduce ourselves to you and for you to meet our new artistic management team. At the event you’ll also learn all about our new season, which includes new partnerships with other Chicago institutions and maybe you’ll even see an excerpt from one of the new plays we’ll be bringing you this season.

There will be karaoke. There will be snacks. There will an open bar from 3-4 p.m. And most of all, there will be fun.

We’re also raising funds for our Season 8 programming, so we kindly ask for a donation of $10 (or more!) in advance via Eventbrite or $15 at the door (cash, credit or PayPal). First 25 folks to donate $10 or more will G.E.T. a special Ghostlight Ensemble swag bag!

The Season 8 Kickoff takes place at My Buddy’s (4416 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640) from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, 2024.

‘It’s About Time’: Ghostlight marks return to full productions post-pandemic with its 8th Season beginning in September

Justin Brook and Holly Robison tapped to lead Ghostlight Ensemble ahead of the company's eighth season.

Ghostlight Ensemble announces its Season 8 lineup, marking the company’s return to a full production season with two mainstage shows, as well as a Nightlight play for young audiences, staged readings and ongoing collaborations with Chicago area museums. 

The company also announces a change in leadership with Ensemble Member and Chicago actor Justin Broom promoted to co-artistic director, along with Ensemble Member Holly Robison. Broom has been with Ghostlight since 2019 and Robison, who was acting as an interim co-artistic director, is a founding member of the company and previously served as artistic director from 2016 to 2019.

“It is a very full-circle moment for me, in a way, to join a company right before we had to move inside (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to then come out the other end as a leader to help bring Ghostlight back to in-person stages and locations,” Broom said.

 “Ghostlight’s mission has always been to ask questions that challenge the status quo through timeless stories via immersive environments and unconventional staging, which very much aligns with my values to making theater,” he continued. “As Co-Artistic Director, I'm excited to offer my perspective and experiences as a Queer theater artist to fulfill our mission in new ways, expand our ensemble and bring Ghostlight back into the Chicago scene.”

 Broom first appeared with Ghostlight in 2019 in a reading of The Thirteenth Chair and has been active in the company and the Chicago theatre scene ever since. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television and Digital Media from Southern Illinois University.

 “I care so much about this company, having been with it from the beginning, and am so happy to continue in this leadership role as Ghostlight emerges from our scaled-back programming during COVID with one of our busiest and exciting seasons yet,” Robison said. “I’m also particularly looking forward to leading with Justin, who has come to be one of the most active and insightful voices within the company.”

 Robison is a Chicago-based director, actor and improvisor who has directed An Ideal Husband and Picasso at the Lapin Agile for Ghostlight Ensemble, as well as conceiving the For Your (Re)Consideration series. She has studied directing with various organizations, including the summer program, A Practical Approach to Directing at Yale School of Drama and is a member of Lincoln Center Directors Lab. She is also a cast member and producer with Improvised Jane Austen.

 Full bios for both artistic directors are available on our website’s The Ensemble page. 

The new management team led the selection process for the upcoming season, which celebrates a symphony of creativity that resonates across cultures and time, reminding us that art is a universal language that binds us all.

 “We have some amazing projects and collaborations this season, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience them,” Robison said.

 Ghostlight will begin its Eighth Season with Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones, a drama about censorship, book banning and Civil Rights set within the framework of 1950s racial tensions. Robison will direct.

 Inspired by true events, Alabama Story is a drama about a segregationist senator and the state librarian who clash over the content of a children’s book about bunny rabbits against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama. Political foes, childhood friends and one feisty children’s author inhabit a Deep South of the imagination that brims with humor, heartbreak and hope.

 Alabama Story will take place Sept. 27-29 and Oct. 4-6, 2024, at After-Words Bookstore (23 E. Illinois St., Chicago) and Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20, 2024, at Haymarket Books at Haymarket House (800 W Buena Ave, Chicago).

 In December, the company expands on its partnership with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum to present Holiday Spirits: A Collection of Victorian Yuletide Ghost Stories, a multi-story and multi-storied immersive, site-specific adaptation of classic Victorian ghost stories at the museum.

In February, the Nightlight series returns with a full-length production for young audiences, Invaders of Mathmatica, written by Ensemble Member Nick Conrad. The original play is a celebration of the arts that argues true riches come from collaboration, not isolation.

And Ghostlight will close out the season in spring 2025 with the world premiere of Drink the Past Dry written by Ensemble Member Maria Burnham. The site-specific piece is set and will take place at a nondescript neighborhood bar in the middle of Chicago that looks like every other bar in every other neighborhood. But this bar has a secret. It can take you anywhere in time. All you have to do is take a drink.

In addition, the For Your (Re)Consideration staged reading series will return in 2025, with its ongoing mission to explore the works of historically overlooked female writers. And Ghostlight will continue its popular Live Movie Reading Series throughout the year. Plus, the company has several other surprises brewing.

To celebrate its return to full productions (and a full season) after the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghostlight is hosting a Season Kickoff event at My Buddy’s (4416 N Clark St, Chicago) on Saturday, August 10. Join us for an insider look at all our shows, exciting news of new partnerships and performance opportunities and a chance to chat with the new artistic team and Ensemble members, as well as karaoke, raffle/auction items, free drinks and more. 

Look for details about the Season Kickoff event, the entire 2024-2025 season and Ghostlight Ensemble at GhostlightEnsemble.com.

Production Manager needed for 'Alabama Story'

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

Costume Designer needed for 'Alabama Story'

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Costumer 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.

Costumer will dress 6 actors and 5-6 understudies. Costumer will have access to costume stock of local college per a borrowing agreement.

Key Dates
Costumer will be available for anticipated 3-4 virtual production meetings, in-person designer run, tech week and wardrobe fittings in August-September. Dates confirmed according to cast and production team availability.

Production Schedule:
Rehearsals in September 2024 on weeknights and/or weekend days, with possible table work and/or fittings 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.

Instructions to Apply:

To be considered, please send resume and portfolio/website link to Holly Robison, holly@ghostlightensemble.com.

Pay Rate/Range*: $300 stipend

Organization Contact Name: Holly Robison

Organization Email Contact: holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Stage Manager Needed for 'Alabama Story'

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

Audition Notice: Seeking actors for 'Alabama Story'

Ghostlight Ensemble is casting 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.

Character Type:
Ghostlight will be casting for the following roles and understudies. Please note that some understudies may cover more than one role. Casting for the following:

• Emily Wheelock Reed: 50ish, white female, State Librarian of Alabama, born in North Carolina, raised in Indiana

• Thomas Franklin: 28, white male reference librarian, Emily’s assistant, from Montgomery, Alabama

• Senator E.W. Higgins: 50ish+, white Alabama state senator

• Joshua Moore: 32, upwardly mobile middle class African American man who left Alabama years ago*

• Lilly Whitfield: 32, a white woman from small-town Alabama privilege*

• Garth Williams/Others: 50ish+. A white writer and illustrator from the East Coast. This role will act as narrator, as well as embodying multiple other roles including aged state representative Bobby Crone, segregationist columnist Henry Branch, radio announcer, and passersby.

*Please note that that characters Joshua and Lilly have one brief scripted kiss. An intimacy choreographer will be available to stage this scene.

Time Commitment:
Rehearsals will be 3-4 times/week on weeknight evenings and/or weekend days in September 2024. A table read and/or table work may be scheduled for a few dates in August. Final dates will be confirmed after review of cast conflicts.

Cast members and understudies MUST be available the following dates:

• 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, 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).

Materials To Prepare:
Please submit your headshot and resume to Jean Mueller-Burr, Casting Director, at casting@ghostlightensemble.com. Please clearly indicate if you have any conflicts during indicated audition times on July 13 or callbacks on July 20. Sides will be provided.

Pay:
Main cast: $300 stipend for production. Understudies: $150 stipend + $25/show performed.

Audition Time & Location:
General: July 13: 1–4:30 p.m. at Merlo Branch, Chicago Public Library, 644 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657. 

Callbacks: July 20: 1–4 p.m. Location will be provided as needed.

Contact:
Jean Mueller-Burr
Email: casting@ghostlightensemble.com

Dialect Coach needed for 'Alabama Story'

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Dialect Coach 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.

Dialect Coach will be available for direct dialogue sessions with actors via zoom or in-person, as well as attend select in-person rehearsals as agreed upon with production manager and director.

Key Dates
Production Schedule:

Rehearsals in September 2024. 3-4 rehearsals/week on weeknights or weekend days, to be scheduled according to cast availability. Some dialect work may be able to be scheduled 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 throughout Chicago.

Instructions to Apply: To be considered, please send resume to Holly Robison, holly@ghostlgihtensemble.com

Pay Rate: $250 stipend

Contact Info:
Holly Robison: holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Job Type: Freelance/Contract/Temp
Compensation: $250 stipend

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.

Up Next: Cinema Chaos and The 'Burbs

In May, Ghostlight returns to the mayhem of live, unrehearsed theatrical interpretations of movies known as Cinema Chaos with that Tom Hanks cinematic masterpiece The ‘Burbs!

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 assigned at the start of the reading.

What’s The ‘Burbs about? An overstressed suburbanite struggles to prove his theory that the new family in town is a front for a cannibalistic cult. It’s a comedy!

Join us at Black Eagle Club (1938 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613) on Wednesday, May 15, 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.

Get to know Ghostlight!

Did you catch our Member Profile on the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce’s website? We were interviewed by DePaul College Prep student Ivy Frater as part of the Chamber’s Member Spotlight program.

Read all about us here!

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.