6 Archives

[Porto]

A woman walks into a bar. Her name is Porto. She’s a regular. She likes this bar: serious food, serious wine, serious bartender–a staple in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood (perhaps Bushwick?). Her friends, her wine, and her artisanal snacks are there; her doubts about being a Modern Woman are put on snooze. A handsome stranger walks in and orders something special. Disruption ensues: an upside-down romantic comedy unfolds inside and outside her head. Desires of all kinds are awakened with a ferocious thump. A nice smile is a nice smile, but can we enjoy the sausage once we know how it’s made?

Ibsen in Chicago

The world premiere of Ibsen’s controversial play Ghosts took place in Chicago, performed by a group of Scandinavian immigrants: a little known fact. Grimm’s play spins a yarn based on this ‘great reckoning in a little room’ and explores the immigrant experience and opportunities for self re-invention against the backdrop of changing artistic and social mores.

Lickety Split

Women and men in outrageous shorts! This fast-paced rollicking collection of short plays featuring fantastically funny females and madly misbehaving men is a laugh-out-loud adventure for all. You’ll encounter women who are brilliant, baffling and know a conscience is what hurts when other parts feel sooo good. And you’ll find men who are confident, strong and so brave they dare to drink water…just to surprise their livers.

In these short plays, you’ll meet a social media star on a quest to elevate the mediocre standard of American funeral food. You’ll witness two good ol’ Texas boys desperate to achieve the
impossible—an honest conversation about the meaning of life… and sports. You’ll spend time with two cousins struggling to write a eulogy for a family member—if only they could think of something
positive to say about him. And more!

These delightful short plays build to a rip-roaring climax. In short, you’ll experience the story of all out lives, which boils down to “we knew better, but we did it anyway.” Without a doubt, LICKETY SPLIT is side-splittingly hilarious!

Eight Tales of Pedro

EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO begins in 17th century Mexico, as Pedro and his companion travel from a small port town into the fabled Veracruz, telling stories while following Pedro’s one true love. Meanwhile, in the present day, in a van full of Mexican immigrants, Peter crosses a border into an unfamiliar country, while his companions tell him stories to chase away his fears. The two storytellers risk everything as their lives and plots intertwine.

A Dark Sky Full of Stars

A play about a young man, Brandon, who is always in and out of trouble. Until he is shot in the back by a member of his community. Through the perspectives of his family, friends, and girlfriend we learn the circumstances of a young American man’s life and how seemingly unrelated events culminate in cutting it short.

The Coast Starlight

A young man armed with a secret that can land him in terrible trouble boards the Coast Starlight, the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. With the help of his fellow travelers, all of whom are reckoning with their own choices, he has roughly one thousand miles to figure out a way forward. THE COAST STARLIGHT is a smart, funny, and compassionate story about our capacity for invention and re-invention when life goes off the rails.

The Ballad of Emmett Till

THE BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL dramatizes the final days of Emmett Till, a Chicago teenager who takes a fateful trip to Mississippi in the summer of 1955. It is the story of a quest, Emmett’s pursuit of happiness, of liberty and ultimately of life.

This is the first play in The Till Trilogy, a three-play cycle which includes BENEVOLENCE and THAT SUMMER IN SUMNER, exploring the epic saga of Emmett Till and the birth of the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Musings of a Crazy Texican

Imagine witnessing 500 years of Aztec history in 10 minutes, a commercial for menudo popsicles, auditions for Pancho Villa: The Musical or a jillion texts from a psycho gringa. This “crazy” collection of eight short plays contains works that have entertained, inspired and sometimes offended. Playwright Alvaro Saar Rios showcases new work, commissioned pieces as well as those developed with the performance troupe The Royal Mexican Players. To be enjoyed by Texicans & non-Texicans across the country.

Miss You Like Hell: School Edition

When a whip-smart, deeply imaginative teenager agrees to take a road trip with her free-spirited Latina mother, neither can imagine where it will take them. Chance encounters with a medley of characters along the way bring them closer to understanding what sets them apart—and what connects them forever. At the heart of the story is a mother-daughter relationship complicated and threatened by immigration policies. MISS YOU LIKE HELL reminds us that musicals have the power to explore the exposed territory where political becomes personal.

This never-more-timely story features a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning book writer of IN THE HEIGHTS, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and compelling, original songs by Erin McKeown that are every bit as diverse and eclectic as America. MISS YOU LIKE HELL is a new musical that exudes the joy, love and frustration of being a family in a changing country.

MISS YOU LIKE HELL School Edition has been adapted from the original Off-Broadway production. The School Edition has been carefully edited, with additional director’s notes throughout, to make the show more producible for high school groups. Song keys have been adjusted to sit more comfortably in the range of high school performers. In some cases, problematic language has been changed, while in others an alternate choice is offered at the discretion of the director.

I Love You Because: School Edition

I LOVE YOU BECAUSE is a charming, modern-day reimagining of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, set against the backdrop of bustling New York City. This witty and heartfelt musical follows an uptight, rule-bound greeting card writer whose world is upended when he meets a free-spirited photographer with a mind of her own. As their unlikely romance unfolds—mirroring the sparks and clashes of Austen’s beloved characters—they navigate love, misunderstandings, and the meddling of their delightfully eccentric friends and siblings.

With humor, heart, and a touch of Regency sensibility in a contemporary world, I LOVE YOU BECAUSE celebrates the idea that true love isn’t about perfection, but about embracing each other’s flaws—because of, not in spite of, them.

I LOVE YOU BECAUSE School Edition has been adapted from the original Off-Broadway production. The School Edition has been carefully edited, with additional director’s notes throughout, to make the show more producible for secondary school and college groups/performers. Song keys have been adjusted to sit more comfortably in the range of secondary school and college performers. In some cases, problematic language has been changed, while in others an alternate choice is offered at the discretion of the director.

The Man in the Ceiling

12 year-old Jimmy Jibbett would rather be a successful cartoonist than be in 7th grade. His father disapproves. His mother is busy. His uncle tries to understand but is too wrapped up trying to write a love song for his next flop musical. Where can Jimmy turn for inspiration and hope? Maybe THE MAN IN THE CEILING can lead him to his true destiny…If only Jimmy would look up!

A collaboration between Jules Feiffer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and celebrated author, and Tony-nominated composer-lyricist Andrew Lippa, THE MAN IN THE CEILING is an uplifting tale about following your creative passion against all odds.

Cast Size: 6