For Women’s History Month, we asked a few women in comedy for their thoughts on the industry, how it’s been, how to make it better for women, and where they hope it will go from here. What is the best [...]
From the moment the audience enters TimeLine Theatre to see Jiréh Breon Holder's Too Heavy For Your Pocket, they are in two worlds at once. They walk softly over grass that slopes up a small hill and right into a kitchen. [...]
(Brian Balcom photo by Alison Thvedt) October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). BTD spoke with Brian Balcom about his work in accessibility in theater shortly after [...]
Splatter is a staple of the Chicago Halloween season. I got the 4-11 from Annoyance's Managing Director Charley Carroll who told me all about the fascinating, messy history of this shocker of a show. BTD: Tell us the history of [...]
After more than a year of being closed, the Belmont Theater District is once again doing live performances, with more shows opening each week. Here’s what some of our member theaters had to say about reopening after a pandemic. To [...]
Chicago Playback Theatre was founded in 2019 and is one of the youngest companies in the Belmont Theater District. In this video, you'll get a taste of their type of performance and how they're still able to perform during the [...]
(Pictured L to R: Colin Douglas, Regina Victor, Kerry Reid) (Editor's Note: These interviews were conducted in May 2020, prior to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, so it is not included in the discussion of [...]
(Pictured L to R: Colin Douglas, Regina Victor, Kerry Reid) (Editor's Note: These interviews were conducted in May 2020, prior to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, so it is not included in the discussion of [...]
For the first time, TimeLine Theatre takes the stage in the Loop. With a Tony-winning play and a Chicago premiere on the horizon, I asked Associate Artistic Director and director of OSLO Nick Bowling what he's looking forward to this [...]
As anyone working in the industry knows, theater people often juggle more than one show at once. Kokandy's new Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham is doing just that. This summer, he split his time between the larger-than-life HEAD OVER [...]
(Some responses have been edited for length and clarity. Bold emphasis is BTD’s.) This year started strong with hit shows in the BTD and a very busy Chicago Theatre Week. But unfortunately by mid-March, all live productions in Chicago had [...]
Our world moves at an alarming rate in the 21st century. With so much happening every minute, it can be hard to argue for looking back. With its current production of Kate Fodor's Hannah and Martin, Shattered Globe Theatre is doing [...]
Summer vacation in Chicago means it's time for camp! Emerald City Theatre continues their support of Chicago's young artists through their summer theatre camp program, running now. I caught up with Education Coordinator Jessica Smoot and Summer Camp Coordinator Tyra [...]
Behind every great performance on stage, there is a huge team of support. Part of that team for Remy Bumppo's current run of Steven Dietz's Bloomsday is actress Margaret Kellas who took on the challenge of understudying the role of Caithleen. [...]
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company recently announced Marti Lyons would take the helm as their new Artistic Director. BTD interviewed Marti and Executive Director Margaret McCloskey to talk about Marti's new position and the future of Remy Bumppo. https://youtu.be/8hJf5Qts5YM [...]
A theater that once served as a staple in Chicago comedy gets a fresh start, thanks to Program Director Megan Hartmann and the team behind the Newport Theater. This week on the blog, Megan shares her thoughts on working to [...]
We're well into #OctoberMonthOfTheater, and Otherworld Theatre couldn't be more in their element. I caught up with resident playwright Nick Izzo on his adaption Countess Dracula to learn more about how he updated the classic vampire tale for modern audiences. [...]
Can a play show what it feels like to have a medical condition take over your mind? BE HERE NOW, Shattered Globe's season opener, tackles this daunting question. I spoke with lead actress and company member Rebecca Jordan to learn [...]
Happy New Year! We made it out of 2020, where many theater companies learned how to stream shows and pivot to online programming and also reopen with new protocols. We asked the BTD member theaters for their 2021 forecast and what [...]
This fall, Thornton Wilder's classic play OUR TOWN gets a fresh interpretation with the Saint Sebastian Players. Director Jim Masini shared why he felt drawn to retelling this foundational script right now. BTD: What has kept this classic play relevant [...]
BTD Skyped in with Teenage Dick director Brian Balcom to talk about what it took just to get the play produced, why the story is personal to him, and how streaming options helped give the show a run that almost [...]
How do you put the internet on stage? For as long as our emotional lives have existed online, playwrights have answered the call to explore what that means. In Walt McGough's Non-Player Character, directed by Beth Wolf for Red Theater [...]
Editor's note: On occasion, BTD shifts their blog's attention to the self produced companies, DIY projects, and emerging artists that make up the next generation of theatre. This month, we focus on The Syndicate, an ensemble theater company that produces [...]
Classic myths often find their way onto the contemporary stage. Two Chicago companies are in the midst of examining the story of Medusa through new work. Otherworld Theatre closes a double-header of Bella Poynton’s Medusa Undone and Elizabeth Ann Michaela [...]
We asked women in leadership positions in the BTD about their experiences as a woman in the theater industry and what we can do to support gender parity. Here are their responses. What do you think of the discussions regarding [...]