Upcoming Shows
Click on the calendar events, or scroll down past it to see full show descriptions.
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Hidden Memory:
An American WWII Story Sunday, April 2nd @ 3:30 PM World War II was a very different experience for Japanese Americans. Racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership resulted in over 120,000 imprisoned for the crime of looking like the enemy. Join storyteller Anne Shimojima as she shares the inspiring story of her family’s journey from Japan and through the incarceration camps. Anne illustrates her talk with photos from her family and the National Archives, showing a journey of determination, perseverance, and strength. |
Anne Shimojima, a native Chicagoan, has been telling stories from her Asian heritage and around the world for forty years at festivals, schools, libraries, museums, and senior communities. Her venues include the National Storytelling Festival, Fillet of Solo, This Much is True, and as Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center. In 2019 she was invited to tell her family’s World War II incarceration camp story at three Tokyo high schools by the Japanese government and her CD Sakura Tales: Stories from Japan won a Storytelling World Honor Award in 2019. In 2022, Anne was decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan for her outstanding contributions in promoting Japanese culture in the U.S. and promoting friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and the U.S.
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God is a Firefly (or, God is a Word We Made Up)
Sunday, April 2nd @ 7:00 PM One reason to believe in a God, is sometimes you just need somebody to thank." This show from Charles Murphy is about looking for God (whatever God means to you) in weird places, from the Tennessee River, to your buried shame, to the disgraced planet Pluto, and trying and failing to find words for things that can't be explained. |
Charles Murphy is an Alabama-raised, Chicago-based musician who loves trees, Irish whistles, and the words “I don’t know.” He grew up a priest's kid in the Episcopal Church, the legacy of which (among other things) is that he loves the sound of a group of people singing more than just about anything in the world. He has played throughout Chicago's music scene as part of the folk duo Duck and Goose, and as part of the band The Diving Bell. He loves songs that have stories in them (especially the ones without words) and he believes that everyone is a musician. He can be found most days wandering around his house or Winnemac Park, making up songs about washing his hands too much and his late basset hound, Murray.
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Inner State Stories
Sunday, April 16th @ 3:30 PM When Alzheimer’s takes away his mother's short-term memory, Errol McLendon relies on the details of the road trips and roadside attractions they once shared to provide her comforting familiar territory during the last years of her life. In this solo show, he recalls his past through the many journeys his life has offered him. From childhood trips with his mother, to leaving home, to monthly trips home to care for his mother, each mile traveled offers humorous and poignant realizations. |
Prior to moving to Chicago, Errol McLendon had an actor’s life in Dallas doing sketch comedy, improv, melodramas, murder mysteries, serious drama, tv and film (look for his amazing work as the umbrella guy in JFK). For the past thirty years, Errol has been acting, directing and devising theatre in Chicago. He has been a company member for THEM Theatre, Red Tape Theatre and Forks & Hope Ensemble. While in Forks & Hope, Errol had the privilege to take “The Hunting of the Snark” to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. When Forks & Hope disbanded in March of 2019, Errol discovered storytelling and started working on his solo show. Errol has told stories at shows all across Chicago, is a two time Moth winner, and will have one of his stories featured on an upcoming Moth podcast. Errol also was chosen last October to be one of six storytellers to compete in the Story Slam at the International Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. Inner State Stories will tour to roadside attractions and retirement communities later this summer and has also been selected to be a part of both the Atlanta and Indianapolis Fringe Festival. For more information on Errol’s show, storytelling and workshops, visit www.innerstatestories.com.
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Broadguess,
A Shakespearian Sidebar Sunday, April 16th @ 7:00 PM Elizabethan detective, Broadguess, stumbles upon a serial killer, which forces the question: What if that mirror being held up to nature is cracked? -- Absurd, hilarious and too much fun. |
An accomplished improviser, writer and actor, Dee Ryan is a proud alumna of The Second City in Chicago where she wrote and performed in three reviews on The Second City E.T.C. stage: “One Nation Under Fraud”, “Baby Richards Got Back” and “Farewell My Compuserve” – for which she was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award with the ensemble. She also toured nationally with The Second City touring company. Dee began her improv career with ImprovBoston developing the musical form, which is now performed by Baby Wants Candy. Additionally, Dee is an original improv cast member of The Armando Diaz Experience and Hootenany, Lois Kaz, Stacy’s Not Here, and The All Girl Revue - winner of the Audience Award at the 2010 Women in Comedy Festival in Boston, MA. As part of the West Coast comedy community, Dee worked at The Second City Conservatory in Hollywood and performed with Teacher’s Lounge. At the Adelaide Comedy Festival in Adelaide, Australia, Dee improvised the role of The Professor in Modern Problems in Science (an interdisciplinary improvised college class), and in Chicago, she performed in Cast on a Hot Tin Roof, an improvised Tennessee William play. Her extensive work in the theatre also includes the role of Dee in The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s production of The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged), which toured nationally and internationally. (You can hear her sing on The Complete Millennium Musical – (abridged) CD.) Her one-woman show DeeConstruction was workshopped at Pittsburgh Public Theater and premiered at Reston Center Theater in Reston, VA and The FanaticSalon in Culver City, CA. She co-wrote Fatwah Caprice with Russ Lees and Dave Razowsky, which premiered at The Zephyr theater, LA. Her pandemic project Broadguess was selected and performed at Nebraska’s Flatwater Shakespeare as part of their UnShaken Festival. In 2022, she directed the world premiere of Emma and Richie’s Big Viking Funeral for The Hollywood Fringe Festival which won an Encore Award. Dee is currently the proud president of the North Shore Shakespeare Society, which means she’s responsible for sending group texts.
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From Whence Emerge These Curiosities? The Oddly Compelling Songs of Robin Bienemann
Sunday, April 30th @ 3:30 PM |
Robin Bienemann is a Chicago songwriter whose wildly original songs mix contemporary themes with Jazz, Blues and Country guitar. His songs are poetic, comical and educational, combining sophisticated musicality, dry humor, and a wide-open curiosity about the World. Robin has participated in many thematic songwriting events: Science, Lost Species, Haiku, Trains, Bad Luck, Bridges. He has found inspiration for songs in vampires, Velcro, various vocations, dinosaurs, dodo birds, DDT, moths, mushrooms, and mosquitos. Robin performs solo, with his trio, and as a duo with his wife Jenny Bienemann. With his duo Twang Bang, he has toured the U.S. and Japan. Robin has shared the stage with Dan Hicks, Christine Lavin, Junior Brown, Reverend Horton Heat, and Southern Culture on the Skids. Robin has recorded three solo albums (Songs About Work, Songs About Lessons Learnt, Animal Communicator), one live album of duets with his wife Jenny Bienemann, and two albums with Twang Bang. Winner (w/ Twang Bang) of Japan Open song contest, Hamamatsu Japan. Twice a finalist at the prestigious Kerrville (Texas) Songwriting Competition. Special Recognition: Great American Song Contest. For more info: www.robinb.org
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Hanging By A Hyphen: How I Lost One Home
To Find Two Sunday, April 30th @ 7:00 PM Foraging the depths of a peanut butter jar one day, Jitesh realized with shock that he is now an Indian-American! Can home change? Can identity? Does love? Follow his journey as he leaves India for America in the pursuit of love and goes back to find that the hometown he missed, was missing. Will he be able to recreate what home is? In this hilarious and introspective story, Jitesh shares his unwelcoming American immigration process only to make everyone in the audience feel welcome! |
Jitesh Jaggi is an immigrant dancer, poet, and storyteller from India, currently living in Chicago. A two-time The Moth StorySlam winner, he also produces shows for the science-based storytelling organization, The Story Collider. He ended his career in Finance one day when he lost all his data that he forgot to save on an Excel sheet and realized that he just didn't care. That tipping point led to him becoming a writer and he is currently working on a book of essays. He regularly coaches clients in crafting their personal and business stories and over the last five years has taught workshops for the World Health Organization, the American Chemical Society, and the University of Illinois among several others. He was a keynote speaker at the 2022 international educator’s conference- NAFSA. His stories were recently played on the National Public Radio as part of The Moth Radio Hour. He loves writing bios because he can refer to himself in the third person. Jitesh can be easily bribed with books and chocolates.
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Big Dad Energy
Sunday, May 7th @ 3:30 PM Jamie Campbell is not your father. He’s not ANYBODY’S father. But, he sure seems like he could be. In a show that combines stand-up, storytelling, and a touch of musical comedy, the critically-acclaimed comedian leaps into what it’s like to get married in your 40s and realize parenthood is not going to happen. He discusses why he is proud of the younger generation, recalls the days when teachers were allowed to spank students, and dishes deep on the time he took acid at Disney World. |
Jamie Campbell has spent the past fifteen years bringing laughter to audiences across the United States. His debut stand-up album, Tell Me You’re Proud of Me, debuted at #1 on the Amazon comedy charts. now, he is bringing his critically-acclaimed comedy show, Big Dad Energy, to cities throughout the nation. His tours and festival appearances have received rave reviews and garnered awards at venues across the U.S. You may recognize Jamie from his appearances on NBC’s Chicago Fire, the Pop Network’s Hollywood Darlings, his recent super bowl ad alongside Kristin Chenoweth, or a series of music videos by hiphop legend Tech N9ne.
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Woman Warrior
Sunday, May 21st @ 3:30 PM Connie Shirakawa reflects on four generations of women in her family -- their history in America and how they coped with discrimination and displacement with their grit, wit, and tenacity. Directed by Sharon Evans. |
CONNIE SHIRAKAWA is a writer who was born and raised on the near west side of Chicago. After a career as an ad writer and a fundraiser, she tells stories all over town at the Goodman Theatre, 2nd Story, Free Street Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Backroom Stories, and This Much is True. Recently, her story “KNOCK KNOCK” was featured on NPR's SNAP JUDGMENT/SPOOKED podcast.
SHARON EVANS (Director) was Artistic Director of Live Bait Theater in Chicago, from 1987 to 2008. During her tenure Live Bait Theater created over 200 world premieres and was nominated for over 50 Jeff awards, predominately in the category of new work. In 1995 Evans premiered “Fillet of Solo” a solo works festival that went on for 12 seasons before moving to Lifeline Theater. Evans is currently working as an instructor with Goodman Theater’s GeNarrations, in the Homan Square/Lawndale community. Special thanks to Goodman Theater’s GeNarrations writing program, Dorothy Milne, Lifeline Theater, The Meyer and Norma Ragir Foundation and The Homan Square writing club.
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How Ringo Saved Me from A Life in the Convent
Sunday, May 21st @ 7:00 PM Megon McDonough takes you on a musical journey of her career, starting with her early influences – the Beatles, Carole King, Joni Mitchell – followed by some of Megon’s own folk songs, ranging from the hilarious (such as the ones she recorded with the group The Four Bitchin’ Babes) to heartfelt hits like “Amazing Things.” In this personal show, see how music has the universal power to connect us all. |
Megan McDonough recorded her first record at age fourteen, winning The WLS Big Break Radio Contest, which garnered her a recording contract with Mercury Records. Fate being what it is, she was released from her contract instead of her record being released. By age 17, Megon was signed to Jerry Wientraub’s Management 3 management company and Wooden Nickel/RCA record label. She began touring and opening for such folk acts as John Denver, Steve Martin, and Harry Chapin, performing on stages as diverse as Carnegie Hall and the Cellar Door. Megon might be best known for her work as an inaugural member of the folk group The Four Bitchin’ Babes, which allowed her wit and folk sensibilities to comment on the ups and downs of everyday life. To date, she has 20+ solo albums to her credit, and is best known for her inspiring song “Amazing Things." Megon classifies her music as folk/cabaret, citing her love of theater and jazz as the reason for the unusual mix. In addition to her singing career, Megon has also had an acclaimed acting career. She received rave reviews for playing Patsy Cline in Always ... Patsy Cline and was nominated for the prestigious Joseph Jefferson Award. She has appeared in Pump Boys and Dinettes, Forever Prine at the Viaduct Theater in Chicago, and most recently wrote music and melodies for the songs of As You Like It, for The Shakespeare Project of Chicago. In December 2018, Megon celebrated her 9th year as Music Minister at Unity Northwest Church, in Des Plaines, IL. Currently, Megon teaches voice privately and is on the faculty at The Music Institute of Chicago.