The GRIND = Gossip, Rumors, Innuendos, News & DramaUrbanTheater Company (UTC) is committed to the creation and exploration of urban-inspired works that convey, illuminate and empathize with the human experience. FROM the STREETS to the STAGE.
[Now Showing] Midwest Premiere of "Beauty of the Father" by Nilo Cruz, directed by Cecilie Keenan at the Wicker Park Art Center (at St. Paul's Community Church). Runs until November 19. For tickets/info visit go to:
www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org
UrbanTheater Company (UTC) has always created ways for our audience to get to know the people behind our work. We use to create online questionnaire’s with a photo of the person, but we’ve taken it a step further and created ‘In a Hot Minute’. This video questionnaire brings UrbanTheater directly to your stream and will continue for every production/event that UTC produces.
Featured is David Guiden who play the role of Boy Smith (Monster).
“Fucking A” runs until April 15th at Pegasus Players in Uptown (Former Historic Hull House and Black Ensemble Space). For tickets visit:www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org
-From the Streets to the Stage
UrbanTheater Company (UTC) has always created ways for our audience to get to know the people behind our work. We use to create online questionnaire’s with a photo of the person, but we’ve taken it a step further and created ‘In a Hot Minute’. This video questionnaire brings UrbanTheater directly to your stream and will continue for every production/event that UTC produces.
Featured is David Guiden who play the role of The Mayor.
“Fucking A” runs until April 15th at Pegasus Players in Uptown (Former Historic Hull House and Black Ensemble Space). For tickets visit:www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org
-From the Streets to the Stage
UrbanTheater Company (UTC) has always created ways for our audience to get to know the people behind our work. We use to create online questionnaire’s with a photo of the person, but we’ve taken it a step further and created ‘In a Hot Minute’. This video questionnaire brings UrbanTheater directly to your stream and will continue for every production/event that UTC produces.
Featured is David Guiden who play the role of Lady in Waiting, Bar Maid and Saxophone Player.
“Fucking A” runs until April 15th at Pegasus Players in Uptown (Former Historic Hull House and Black Ensemble Space). For tickets visit:www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org
-From the Streets to the Stage
UrbanTheater Company (UTC) has always created ways for our audience to get to know the people behind our work. We use to create online questionnaire’s with a photo of the person, but we’ve taken it a step further and created ‘In a Hot Minute’. This video questionnaire brings UrbanTheater directly to your stream and will continue for every production/event that UTC produces.
Featured is David Guiden who play the role of Jailbait and Freshly Freed Prisoner.
“Fucking A” runs until April 15th at Pegasus Players in Uptown (Former Historic Hull House and Black Ensemble Space). For tickets visit:www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org
-From the Streets to the Stage
UrbanTheater Company (UTC) has always created ways for our audience to get to know the people behind our work. We use to create online questionnaire’s with a photo of the person, but we’ve taken it a step further and created ‘In a Hot Minute’. This video questionnaire brings UrbanTheater directly to your stream and will continue for every production/event that UTC produces.
Featured is Amrita Dhaliwal who play the role of the First Lady.
“Fucking A” runs until April 15th at Pegasus Players in Uptown (Former Historic Hull House and Black Ensemble Space). For tickets visit:www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org
-From the Streets to the Stage
Spend Easter Sunday with UrbanTheater! Two for one tickets using the promo code: “Easter”
I AM THEATRE: NILO CRUZ
Every since Anna In The Tropics in 2003, when UrbanTheater Company (UTC) founders, myself (Ivan Vega) and Madrid St. Angelo met understudying at Victory Gardens, we have always had a love affair with Nilo Cruz and his writing. Cruz is a not only one the nicest guys you will meet, but also an inspiration to Latino writers and actors alike. Truly gifted. It is like we have made a full circle since we were introduced to this work. Now, in the midst of our closing weekend of the Midwest Premiere of Nilo Cruz’s Beauty of the Father directed by Cecilie Keenan, TCG (Theatre Communications Group) highlights Cruz in their initiative called I AM THEATRE:
Theatre-makers tell stories, but too often, their own stories — the victories, heartbreaks, spectacular hilarity and transformational moments — go untold. To celebrate TCG’s 50th anniversary, and continue our mission to strengthen, nurture and promote not-for-profit theatre, we’re launching a global initiative to spotlight the stories of theatre practitioners in their own words: I AM THEATRE.
ABOUT NILO CRUZ
Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida, Nilo Cruz is best known for his play ANNA IN THE TROPICS, which won the Steinberg award, the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and received a Tony nomination. His other plays include DANCING ON HER KNEES, NIGHT TRAIN TO BOLINA, A PARK IN OUR HOUSE, TWO SISTERS AND A PIANO, BEAUTY OF THE FATHER, LORCA IN A GREEN DRESS among others. Nilo has translated Federico Garcia Lorca’s THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, DOÑA ROSITA THE SPINSTER; and Jose Sanchez Sinisterra’s AY CARMELA. He also adapted Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS for the stage. Nilo has been the recipient of other awards and fellowships, including two NEA/TCG National Theatre Artist Residency grants, a Rockefeller Foundation grant and the San Francisco’s W. Alton Jones award. In 2009 he won The Laura Pels Mid-career Playwrighting award and a Helen Merrill award for Excellence in playwriting. He also received the USA Ella Fontanals-Cisneros award. Nilo is part of the Playwrights Ensemble at Victory Gardens in Chicago, and has taught playwriting at Brown, NYU Gallatin School, Yale School of Drama, and the University of Iowa. He recently co-wrote the screenplay “Castro’s Daughter” with Oscar winner Bobby Moresco. His new screenplay is “Anna in the Tropics”.
CLOSING WEEKEND!
Beauty of Father is being performed at the Wicker Park Arts Center, located at 2215 W. North Ave/Levitt. Our closing performance is on Saturday, November 19th. For tickets go to:
www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org or call 312-239-8783
Post by @ivanvega
UTC Executive Director and actor in Beauty of the Father
Getting to Know: Nicolas Gamboa
1 - What are your basic stats? Name: Nicolas Gamboa, Age: 30, Weight: 160lbs,Height: 5’11”, Ethnicity: Latino from Bogota Colombia.
2 - Have you always wanted to be an actor or work in the Performing Arts? For as long as I can remember.
3 - Right now Chicago is considered, “the theatre capitol of America”. What are your thoughts about this? I believe it to be true. Not only that, but every time, more and more the community is opening to diversion and directors are taking chances and utilizing new creative routes by spicing their plays with ethnic actors.
4 - Who are 3-5 of your favorite playwrights/why? José Rivera - I have always seen him as the Gabriel García Márquez of theater. I guess that could also be because he worked and was mentored by him. Nilo Cruz- I believe he offers the actor the capability to fly trough language and action. Martin Mcdonah- I am enchanted with how subtle his comedy is….you can be in the most of dramatic moments and somehow he finds a way to make you laugh laudly without taking you away from the emotional tension of the situation, and the always great Bill Shakes. (Do I really have to elaborate?)
5 - What’s your favorite play/why? My favorite plays are Macbeth and Salome. I like tragedies that are triggered by human ambition that truly reveal till what point is the human willing to go to acquire it.
6 - Favorite Chicago Director? Theatre Company? I don’t have a favorite yet, but Cecilie is right up there! I don’t have a favorite company, I am in search for projects that attract me at the moment and I am too new to the city to really be able to venture that statement.
Beauty of the Father by Nilo Cruz, directed by Cecilie Keenan closes November 19th! Only THREE show left. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. For tickets go to: www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org or call 312-239-8783.
Goldstar Member Reviews - Beauty of the Father by Nilo Cruz
For tickets go to: www.UrbanTheaterChicago or call 312-239-8783
We close Saturday, November 19th!
Getting to Know: Cecilie D. Keenan
Cecilie D. Keenan (Director) is a freelance director and producer who has been active in the Chicago Theater Community for over 20 years. She has been a director with Teatro Vista for 12 years credits include; The Messenger (an adaptation of the novel for the first Latino Fest at the Goodman), El Nogalar (at Millennium Park/Latino Festival and as part of Teatro Vista’s Residency at the Goodman Theatre), Dreamlandia, Another Part of the House and Living Out. Recently, Cecilie directed the Jeff Awarded Tobacco Road for American Blues Theater and Joel Drake Johnson’s End of the Tour for 16th Street Theater in Berwyn. Cecilie is the Producing Director at Teatro Vista. As an artist, she has been a frequent director and sometimes artistic and/or managing director at many Chicago Theaters, including ABT, Apple Tree, ATC, Bailiwick, Northlight and Collaboraction where she directed the hightly touted The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow .
Beauty of the Father Rehearsal - Photo by Anthony Aicardi
