Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, Mary Zimmerman-Helmed Music Man, 5 World Premieres, and More Tapped for Goodman Season | Playbill

Chicago News Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, Mary Zimmerman-Helmed Music Man, 5 World Premieres, and More Tapped for Goodman Season The Chicago theatre reveals its 2018–2019 season.
Lynn Nottage, Mary ZImmerman, and Ike Holter

Chicago’s Goodman Theatre has unveiled its 2018–2019 season. The lineup includes Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Sweat, a revival of The Music Man helmed by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses), The Winter’s Tale re-imagined by Artistic Director Robert Falls, and five world premieres by David Cale, Christina Anderson, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith, Rebecca Gilman, and Ike Holter, which were all first seen and developed in the Goodman’s New Stages Festival.

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David Cale Monica Simoes

The Chicago theatre will open its new season September 15 with the world premiere of We’re Only Alive for A Short Amount of Time by David Cale, marking 30 years since the playwright, composer, and performer made his Goodman debut. The new autobiographical solo play about his mother is written and performed by Cale with direction by Tony Speciale. The show, which also features songs by Cale, will run through October 21 in the Albert Theatre.

Next up in the Owen will be the world premiere of Lady in Denmark by acclaimed playwright and solo performing artist Orlandersmith. Directed by Chay Yew, the play is billed as a soulful, music-infused tribute to Billie Holliday told through the perspective of a Danish American woman living in Chicago. Performances will run October 19–November 18.

Kicking off the new year in the Albert Theatre will be the world premiere of Anderson’s play How to Catch Creation, directed by Niegel Smith. Centered on four artists and intellectuals living in San Francisco, as well as the work of a black queer feminist writer from a bygone era, the new play examines the universal act of creation—creation of life, of family, and of art. Performances will run January 19–February 24, 2019.

Next up in the Albert will be the Chicago premiere of Nottage’s acclaimed play Sweat, directed by Ron OJ Parson (performances will run March 9–April 14); to be followed by Falls’ fresh take on Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale (May 4–June 9). Closing out the season in the Goodman’s mainstage will be Zimmerman’s all-new production of The Music Man (June 29–August 4).

The Owen theatre lineup also includes Gilman’s coming-of-age story about four young women who meet in their local bowling alley, Twilight Bowl, directed by Erica Weiss (February 8–March 10); and a new play by Exit Strategy playwright Holter called Lottery Day, about an epic barbecue thrown by the legendary matriarch of a gentrifying neighborhood, directed by Lili-Anne Brown (March 29–April 28).

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Christina Anderson Joseph Marzullo/WENN

The Goodman season will also feature the 41st annual production of A Christmas Carol, as well as David Sedaris’ holiday classic The Santaland Diaries in December. In September, the Goodman will present its 15th season of the New Stages Festival, featuring six new plays (September 19–October 7 in the Owen Theatre).

“I am thrilled to share our upcoming season—an expansive, relevant collection of works of art that are at once entertaining and challenging, and offer exciting possibilities to engage with our community,” said Falls of the 32nd season he has curated as artistic director. “I am particularly proud that more than half of these productions have emerged from our New Stages festival, which continues to be an extraordinary incubator for new plays.”

Goodman Theatre memberships are now available by calling (312) 443-3800 or visiting GoodmanTheatre.org.

 
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