THEATER AS MINISTRY

November 17, 2011 from 7:45pm to 10:00pm

Location:
2215 W. North Ave. between Bell and Leavitt (5 minute walk from the Damen Blue line stop)

Contact:
madridstangelo@urbantheaterchicago.org

UrbanTheater Company is partnering with Urban Village Church and The Night Ministry for an evening of Theatre and Ministry. Taking to the Stage and sharing our stories is powerful and life changing. After each performance of Nilo Cruz’s Beauty of the Father, we have had the opportunity to meet and speak directly with members of our audience who have been moved and touched. Not only by the performances, but by the story. Beauty is a story about family, love and reconciliation. To that end, UTC has partnered with Urban Village Church, a Chicago Church that truly practices what it preaches by accepting every single person for who they are and where they are at on this life journey. Urban Village will collect items for Chicago’s Night Ministry; a city organization that assists Chicago’s Homeless and LGBT Youth. A Donation to the Night Ministry gets you a specially priced $10 ticket! Items will be collected at the theatre. Items to bring: travel size toothpaste, shaving items, deodorant, shampoo, Winter Coats, blankets, socks, hats and gloves! Join Pastors Trey Hall and Christian Coon for an intimate Post Show Talk Back discussing themes expressed in the play. Support our efforts to not only bringing amazing Midwest Premieres to the stage, but as we work to partnering with organizations working to heal the world.

Directed by Cecilie Keenan

Featuring: Executive Director Ivan Vega and Artistic Director Madrid St. Angelo

October 14 – November 19, 2011

(Thursday-Saturday at 8pm. No Sunday shows.)

Pulitzer Prize Winner, Nilo Cruz’s ‘Beauty of the Father’ follows a young American woman who travels to Andalusia, Spain, to meet her estranged father. While there, she becomes romantically involved with her father’s Moroccan companion. The lover’s triangle provides the setting for an exploration of the conflict between love and sacrifice.

Vega and St. Angelo recently worked together in UTC’s Sold Out production of Reinaldo Povod’s, Cuba and His Teddy Bear and in Vitalist Theatre’s U.S. Premiere adaptation of Calderon de la Barca’s, Life is a Dream by Helen Edmunson’s directed by Liz Carlton Metz.

General Admission

$20

Location
Wicker Park Arts Center at Paul’s Community Church
2215 W. North Avenue/Levitt (map)
(3 blocks East of Western and 3 blocks West of Damen/Milwaukee)

Free street parking available. The theatre is 3 blocks from the Damen Blue Line stop.

Photo by Anthony Aicardi

UrbanTheater Company Announces 2011-2012 Season

CONTACT:  Ivan Vega at (708) 370-3138 or

email ivanvega@urbantheaterchicago.org

June 7, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

UrbanTheater Company Announces 2011-2012 Season with Two Pulitzer Prize Winners: Nilo Cruz and Suzan-Lori Parks

CHICAGO, IL – UrbanTheater Company, is proud to announce their 2011-2012 season at the Chicago’s Center for the Performing Arts, where UTC recently became a company in residence.

Following a critically acclaimed production of Obie Winner José Rivera’s Sonnets for an Old Century at the Steppenwolf Garage, UTC begins it’s 6th Season with the Midwest Premiere of Beauty of the Father by Nilo Cruz, directed by Cecile Keenan (Managing Director of Teatro Vista). Keenan was most recently hailed for her work as director of Tanya Saracho’s El Nogalar produced by Teatro Vista in partnership with The Goodman Theatre. Beauty of the Father will feature UTC Ensemble Members and Founders: Ivan Vega (After Dark Award Winner) and Madrid St. Angelo (After Dark Award Winner, Jeff Award Nominee).

UrbanTheater 2011-2012 Season:

Beauty of the Father by Nilo Cruz (Midwest Premiere)
Directed by Cecilie Keenan
October 14 – November 20, 2011
Featuring: Executive Director Ivan Vega and Artistic Director Madrid St. Angelo

Pulitzer Prize Winner, Nilo Cruz’s ‘Beauty of the Father’ follows a young American woman who travels to Andalusia, Spain, to meet her estranged father. While there, she becomes romantically involved with her father’s Moroccan companion. The lover’s triangle provides the setting for an exploration of the conflict between love and sacrifice.

Vega and St. Angelo recently worked together in UTC’s Sold Out production of Reinaldo Povod’s, Cuba and His Teddy Bear and in Vitalist Theatre’s U.S. Premiere adaptation of Calderon de la Barca’s, Life is a Dream by Helen Edmunson’s directed by Liz Carlton Metz.

In Spring 2012, Madrid St. Angelo’s will return to the directing helm for UTC with the Chicago Premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks powerful and controversial play, Fucking A. The premiere will feature Kelly Owens, last seen in UTC’s critically acclaimed Midwest Premiere of Miguel Piñero’s, The Sun Always Shines for the Cool.

Fucking A by Suzan-Lori Parks (Chicago Premiere)
Directed by Artistic Director Madrid St. Angelo
March 22 – April 28, 2012
Featuring: Kelly Owens

Pulitzer Prize Winner Suzan Lori Parks nightmarish and visually arresting, ‘Fucking A’, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, ‘The Scarlet Letter’ is a tale centered around Hester Smith, an abortionist branded with the letter A. This powerful tale weaves together thoughts and issues of redemption, gender, race and class divisions infused with blues and soul.

For six solid seasons, UrbanTheater Company has solidified it’s reputation as part of Chicago’s vibrant theatrical community by bringing ‘to the stage’ a string of Midwest and World Premiere’s with it’s trademark ‘urban’ aesthetic and powerful acting style. Hailed by Chicago Stage Review’s Venus Zarris as “A Provocative theater company”, UTC’s goal is to be the city’s most visible and most ethnically diverse producing company.

UrbanTheater Company has worked in partnership with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Goodman Theatre and Columbia College and has been instrumental in working towards creating theater that is relevant and reflective of Chicago’s ethnically diverse landscape. While exploring the question, ‘What does it mean to be ‘Urban’, UTC continues to create works of grace, strength and power From the Streets to the Stage.

About UrbanTheater Company:

UrbanTheater Company (UTC) is committed to the creation and exploration of urban-inspired works that convey, illuminate and empathize with the human experience. The multicultural company was founded in 2005 by a Latino ensemble deeply rooted in their community and culture, who through performance art bring awareness to the social issues impacting Chicago communities. As a platform for multicultural representation in the performance arena, UTC serves as a bridge between Chicago performing artists, our respective communities and the youth we work with. Although UTC operates with an intrinsic focus on creating new works, we also engage in performing classic plays and contemporary adaptations.

For questions, contact UrbanTheater’s Executive Director, Ivan Vega at (708) 370-3138 or email ivanvega@urbantheaterchicago.org. For additional information on UrbanTheater, visit www.urbantheaterchicago.org, www.facebook.com/UrbanTheater, or www.twitter.com/UrbanTheater

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