Shows
Solo Jams Application 2013-2014
August 16 – July 1, 2014
The Solo Jams and Extended Jams performance series was created to foster community among performance artist and to address the critical loss of affordable performance venues in the city of Chicago. Simply put - we want artist to thrive, and we're willing to share our venue and resources in support of the community.
We are looking to fill 30 slots for 30 solo acts for our upcoming season. If you are dedicated to your craft and willing to explore a new performance opportunity we strongly encourage you to apply. The link below will guide you through the necessary guideline and applications are accessible in the link below. If you have any questions please contact us at solojams@mpacct.org.
MPAACT Solo Jams 2013 - 14.pdf
FOUNDATIONS: The Art of the Audition
June 10 – July 10, 2013
FOUNDATIONS: The Art of the Audition
MPAACT (Ma'at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre) Education offers many opportunities for artists to enhance their craft-- from Teaching Artist workshops to Sketch Comedy Intensives. These courses are supportive of those just starting out in the business and those who want an opportunity to brush-up on key skills. Beginning Winter 2013, MPAACT Education will offer a selection of classes aimed at helping actors fine tune their approach to the audition. You are cordially invited to participate in our inaugural offering, FOUNDATIONS: The Art of the Audition,beginning June10th-July 10, 2013 .
In this 5 week class several aspects of the theatre audition will be examined. There will be a special focus on preparing appropriate monologues, having a "back pocket" monologue, and what makes a greatheadshot and resume. Students will learn strategies to succeed in a variety of audition situations including cold readings and "on the spot" singing requests. In this class we will crack the mystery of auditioning and provide you with a safe environment to ask all the questions you have always wanted to ask but couldn't. This course is an excellent tool for actors who are serious about building a life in theatre, who seek more professional credits and who truly want to understand the auditioning process.
• Ages 18+
• Mondays 7:00pm-9:00pm
• June 10th - July 10th
• $225 per student ( Cost wil rise to $250 after Jan 13) *
• Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.
Class size is LIMITED to 10 participants so reserve your spot today!
RSVP by replying to this email, or contacting Demetria Thomas at (601) 212-5294, or by email thomas@mpaact.org.
*This fee is payable by the first class meeting, June 10th, 2013, via check or money order payable to MPAACT. Payment plans are available. The fee for this course includes all course materials. CANCELLATION POLICY: The fee for this course in non-refundable in whole or in part after the first class. If you need to cancel your participation in this course, please do so before the first class meeting. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about this policy.
Friday Night Jams
July 12 – July 12, 2013
MPAACT's Friday Night JAM
A one night only foray into the world of solo performance.
Friday July 12th
Performances at 7pm and 9pm
Fri. July 12 7pm
Tramaine Montell Ford (TheTramaineExperience: AnUrbanDramedy)
TheTramaineExperience: AnUrbanDramedy is a fresh, hip, and innovative, art-house theatrical solo work emerging from a burgeoning generation of urban inspired thought and performance art! Tramaine Montell Ford takes us on a hilarious journey to the Cabrini Green Housing projects and takes us out with hope and pride. Straight from an Off-Broadway run at American Theatre of Actors in NYC, this convivial yet sobering one man show highlights the humanity we all share beyond our often overemphasized superficialities. It puts a lens on the environmental and experiential circumstances that often shape the common, and ironically soulless, inner city stereotypes hardwired into America’s cultural framework. The interactive and semi-improvisational nature of the show makes for gut-wrenching high laughs and a piercing emotional intimacy as we peer into the soul of Inner City America and deeper still, humanity. Broadway World featured and winner for "Outstanding Performance in a Solo show." www.thetramaineexperience.com.
For tickets click HERE
Fri. July 12 9pm
Michael Issac (Got Next!)
From growing up on the South Side of Chicago, to trying to gain weight Michael Issac shares his unique experiences in this hilarious stand-up performance.
For tickets click HERE
Summer Jams 2013
July 29 – August 4, 2013
Monday July 29th
Thru- Sunday August 4th
Performances Nightly at 7pm and 9pm
Sunday August 4th performances at 3pm and 6pm
at the Greenhouse Theater Center
2257 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago
Monday July 29 - 7 pm
Ta-Tynisa Wilson- Acoustic Soul An Intimate Performance With Ta-Tynisa
Capture a never-before-seen performance from this up and coming artist. This show allows you to experience Ta-Tynisa up close and personal as she showcases her sultry vocals with HD an incredible band. Come out to enjoy an acoustic set with a touch of Neo-Soul and more.
For tickets click HERE
Monday, July 29 - 9 pm
Tyla Abercrumbie - Naked & Raw 2 (the comedy hour)
A wonderfully uncensored, in your face dialogue with one person talking. Go figure. It's comedy about life, the pitfalls of dating, the delight of sex, the poetry of why few roads lead to good sex, and why good sex doesn't always lead to dating. It dares to ask "is it politics or pot logic" and "what's really going on?"
For tickets click HERE
Tuesday, July 30 -7 pm
She Speaks in Tongues performs gloria, G-U-I-T-A-R! - a visual and experiential concert/performance piece from their debut album (June 2013) of the same name. gloria, G-U-I-T-A-R! is a microcosmic history lesson in rock n roll, told through the lens of various women artists - named and unnamed - throughout music history. The story is told primarily through voice by a one woman performer (McCandless), who channels the spirits of these women with force, feeling and power. As she tells their stories, her story too undeniably creeps up and intertwines. Together they mourn, expose, and wrestle with the oppressive systems and barriers, labels and “lovers” they face in the rock n roll landscape. With childlike hope and aloneness, they work to reclaim a new voice, a new way.
For tickets clickHERE
Tuesday, July 30 - 9pm
Sharrieff Muhammad - The Lines of Blue
The Lines of Blue is about Chicago, 2005. It is a Hip Hop Time Capsule, a musical,
a feat of prestidigitation. It tells the story of an unknown Chicago Emcee who embarks on a journey for fame and fortune; He believes that the only way to achieve these grand ideas is through the selling of his soul. On this journey the Hip Hop artist finds himself following the exact same road many before him have walked, to becoming a Blues Man. Prepare to see what happens when one rides The Lines of Blue.
For tickets click HERE
Melissa Duprey - SEXomedy
In this bold production of one woman's attempt to reveal her truth about sex, Melissa DuPrey unveils her many tales of frustration, surprises, and pleasures in the bedroom. From preparing to do the deed to the hassles of dating, from shaving to Abuela's consejitos, Melissa dares to share what your Mama never told you about sex... especially how to deal with it in 2013. In this in-your-face solo performance, you will find yourself laughing, blushing, and screaming for more! Women love it, men love it, and you just might learn a thing or two to improve your bedroom skills...Come see what Chicago has been raving about in the raw and edgy comedy of sexual errors, SEXomedy.
For tickets click HERE
Proyecto Manigua - Bomba Salve, & Caribbean Goodies
A night of Puerto Rican Bomba, Dominican Salve, and other Caribbean goodies brought to you by members of Africaribe, Bompleneras, Nuestro Tambo, and Chicago Afro Beat Project, under the direction of Charly Barbera
For tickets click HERE
The Covelo experiment is the blending of musical genres, conversations, and perspectives exploring race, class, sex, love and life. Creation - "the act of bringing forth" is a theatrical take on The Experiment. It is storytelling utilizing poetry and diverse musical influences (both covers and original material) in hopes of bringing these themes forward in the mind of our listeners.
For tickets click HERE
M.A.D.D. Rhythms - Summer M.A.D.D.ness
Chicago's Premier tap dance company, M.A.D.D. Rhythms, brings you a night of raw, rhythmic percussion and taptastic expression! When the sun goes down, the tap madness begins! Tap Legends like John Bubbles, Baby Laurence, Sammy Davis Jr., Gregory Hines and The Nicholas Brothers serve as the inspiration for the rhythm! While Jazz, R & B, Gospel, Hip Hop, African and World create the musical landscape by which the rhythm travels!
For tickets click HERE
Friday, August 2 - 7 pm
Aniba Hotep & The Sol Collective Retrofuturistic Sol
Unanimously described by past audiences as a musical experience, Aniba Hotep & The Sol Collective brings their special brand of soul-stirring, sol music to the Greenhouse Theater! You don't want to miss this experience!
For tickets click HERE
Penelope Walker - How I Jack Master Funked the Sugar In My Knee Caps!
From dance recitals, to dance halls; from high blood sugars to no count prophecies! Come cut a psychic rug with Penelope as she takes you on this no holds barred, fantastical journey of house music & diabetes!
For tickets click HERE
Inspired by the artist's love for various styles of music, including R&B, jazz, soul, folk and electro. Joined by a 3-piece band, her trusty looper and a few special guests, ArinMaya will share original tunes (both new and old), and will deliver some of her favorite covers, re-packaged in her own unique way. ArinMaya's Soul 4 Real promises to be a homecoming celebration of sorts before the singer embarks (again) on a tour-de-force of Europe and the non-Western world.
For tickets click HERE
Sunday, August 4 - 3 pm & 6pm
The Willingham Project - She Speaks Like The River
The Willingham Project presents a series of intimate portraits that explores the complexities of the human spirit. This is a work that raises self-awareness of renewal through multi-dimensional movement. Choreographed and directed by Lisa Johnson-Willingham it is a multisensory dance experience that awakens the very spirit of women. A one movement dance concert intricately woven with original music and poetry- she speaks of rivers will entertain, uplift, inspire, and move you to a place of inner reflection.
For tickets click HERE
2013-2014 Season
October 11 – July 1, 2014
Warm on the Coolin’ Board
Written by Shepsu Aakhu
Directed by Marie Cisco
October 11 – November 24, 2013
Everybody has a plan, and Day is no exception. He has a plan for his baby brother Brian. Trouble is Brian is off plan. He’s taking a break from school and picking up the family business, stripping the Roseland community to the bone. This decaying community is being pillaged by its own inhabitants, its politicians, and its few remaining businesses. As Day and Brian work to find their place in a community that is literally being picked clean, they struggle to come to grips with whether they are hastening the process, or part of the restoration.
Quark
in association with THE GOODMAN
Written by Gloria Bond Clunie
Directed by Chuck Smith
January 17 - March 2, 2013
QUARK embraces love, death, and the stars when Dr. Alexandra Seabold, an astrophysicist, and her husband Terry, a kindergarten teacher, wrestle with personal tragedy, commercial space travel, and feeding our starving planet as they wonder, "Is a taste of space worth it?
Mutant Circa 1982
Written by Amina Henry
Directed by Carla Stillwell
April 18 – June 1, 2014
New York 1982 - Siblings Olivia, a pre-op transgender woman obsessed with Olivia Newton-John and Kyle, an unemployed break dancer and aspiring superhero fight to fulfill their dreams. While Olivia and Kyle work to take on their new identities, the world around them, (and the people in it) seem to be working overtime to deny them the things that they believe will bring them true happiness.
MPAACT Shows
MPAACT consistently produces a season of outstanding world premiere productions. Through these productions, it exposes audiences to stories seldom told on America’s stages. From the story of three immigrant sisters from Ethiopia, to a fifty-somethings musings on life, to the portrait of a young African American man on his first trip to Africa, MPAACT strives to be a company where artists can express and audiences can experience a myriad of realities of Black life.