Congo Square Theatre Company
commemorates 20th Anniversary season with rare
production of satiric classic DAY OF ABSENCE by
Douglas Turner Ward
in the Richard Christiansen Theatre at
Victory Gardens
February 27-March 22, 2020;
Official Opening March 2, 2020
Upcoming season led by interim Executive
Director Luther Goins and new Board Chair
Christopher Audrain
CHICAGO – Congo Square Theatre Company, well known for its powerful portrayal of African American classics and gripping new works, commemorates its 20th Anniversary season with a rare production of
the 1965 satirical fantasy, Day of Absence, at the Richard Christiansen Theatre (housed inside Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave.),
February 27-March 22, 2020. Its official opening night is Monday, March 2, 2020, at 7:30pm.
Day of Absence
was written and directed by Douglas
Turner Ward in 1965 and helped launch the New York-based Negro Ensemble
Company, whose overall mission is to present live theatre performances
by and about black people to a culturally diverse audience that is often
under served by the theatrical community.
Day of Absence recounts the uproarious emergencies that occur
when a Southern town is faced with the sudden and inexplicable
disappearance of all its black citizens; it is traditionally performed
as a ‘reverse minstrel show,’ with black actors in whiteface.
A past winner of coveted Vernon Rice and Obie Awards, this reimagined
production is directed by Congo Square ensemble member
Anthony Irons and produced by the company’s Founding Artistic Director and Associate Professor of Theatre at UIC,
Derrick Sanders. The cast will be announced shortly.
“It’s a pleasure for me to return as a producer to kick off Congo Square’s 20th
year celebration. Congo Square has been inspired by many ensemble
theater companies; none more significant than the historic Negro
Ensemble Company.
Our desire to produce Day of Absence comes from both the need to
honor its legacy and impact on our theatre company, and also to examine
the contemporary evolution this biting satire has had on America
present-day culture. I am equally thrilled to bring
more ensemble members back to our stage than we have had in years,”
said Sanders.
Day of Absence performance schedule and tickets
From February 27-March 22, 2020, Day of Absence
will be performed Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3 and 8pm, and Sunday
afternoon at 3pm. All tickets are priced at $35 ($25 for seniors and
students). Discounts are available for groups
of 10 or more. To purchase tickets, and for more information, please call 773-296-1108 or visit the website at
www.congosquaretheatre.org.
20th Anniversary restructuring
The choice to produce Day of Absence speaks
to the legacy of African American theatre companies and comes at a time
when Congo Square is celebrating 20 years of producing theatre in
Chicago.
The 20-year milestone comes at a time when the
organization is restructuring, so that it can continue to be the
creative home of black artists at all stages of their career, while
continuing to produce powerful theatre that portrays the
African American experience. The restructure includes Luther Goins
joining as Interim Executive Director. Goins is a producer, director,
playwright and theatre consultant whose past experience includes serving
as the Managing Director at Chicago Theatre
Company; more recently he served as Business Representative with the
Chicago office of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union for Actors and
Stage Managers in the United States.
In addition, Congo Square expands with the addition of
Kelvin Roston, Jr., the first new member to formally join the ensemble in several years. Roston wrote and starred in the one-man musical,
Twisted Melodies, which portrays the life and death of R&B artist Donny Hathaway. Originally produced by Congo Square here in 2015, a
Twisted Melodies remount directed by Derrick Sanders recently
toured with stops in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and in New York at the
famed Apollo Theater. He can be seen starring in the title role of
Oedipus Rex in Court Theatre’s critically acclaimed production which opened November 7.
The Board of Directors has also grown under the leadership of
Christopher Audain, who joined the board in 2015 and was elected
Board Chair in January 2019. Further, in October 2019, Chicago native
and stage & screen actor
Harry Lennix was approved by unanimous vote to serve on the Board of Directors. Lennix, known for his roles in
The Five Heartbeats, Get on the Bus, Ray, and The Blacklist, brings business acumen, industry expertise, and a broad network to the board.
Additional board members added in 2019 are Sandra
Hoyt, Dawn Frances Reese, Gertrude Wooten, and Alvin Goldfarb. Chanel
Coney rejoined a board which also includes Constance Jones, Mike Pitts,
and Hugh Williams, all bringing experience in
fundraising and nonprofit management to the organization.
About Congo Square Theatre Company
Congo Square Theatre Company (Congo Square) is an
ensemble dedicated to artistic excellence. By producing definitive and
transformative theatre spawned from the African Diaspora, as well as
other world cultures, Congo Square seeks to establish
itself as an institution of multicultural theatre. Congo Square is one
of only two African American Actors’ Equity theatre companies in
Chicago. Founded in 1999, Congo Square aimed to provide a platform for
black artists to perform and present classic and
new work that exemplified the majesty, diversity and intersectionality
of stories from the African Diaspora.
Congo Square has risen to become one of the most
well-respected African American theatres in the nation. Previously
mentored by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson,
Congo Square would go on to cultivate talents such
as playwright Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), who penned the 2006 Jeff nominated play
Deep Azure, and playwright Lydia Diamond, who penned the massively successful
Stick Fly, a critically acclaimed play that explores race, class, and familial friction.
Stick Fly ultimately ran on Broadway and is currently being
developed into a full-length series for HBO with Alicia Keys serving as a
producer. Congo Square also produced the widely praised
Seven Guitars, which would eventually go on to win top honors for
best ensemble, best direction, and best production at the 2005 Joseph
Jefferson Awards. This would earn the theatre company the distinction of
being the first African American theatre
company to receive such an honor.
Congo Square’s Educational Programs bring the
impact of theater to young audiences. Its two outreach programs, CORE
(Curriculum Objectives Residency Enrichment), and CAST (Congo After
School Theatre), present and teach theater arts by providing
classroom and after-school residencies that provide Teaching Artists to
build upon already established Chicago Public Schools literature and
art curriculums. CORE and CAST impact students and schools located in
the Bronzeville, Auburn, Gresham, Douglas, and
Woodlawn neighborhoods.
For more information, please call 773-296-1108 or visit
www.congosquaretheatre.org.
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