Writers Theatre Inc

TO PRESENT WORLD-CLASS PRODUCTIONS OF CLASSIC, ADAPTED, AND ORIGINAL PLAYS, AND TO PROVIDE A WIDE ARRAY OF EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMING FOR AREA STUDENTS AND THEATRE-GOERS.

ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING:THE 2020/21 SEASON MARKED WRITERS THEATRE 29TH YEAR AND THE COMPANY PRESENTED NEWLY DEVELOPED DIGITAL OFFERINGS TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES FROM A DISTANCE WHILE IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING WAS RESTRICTED. THE GREEN ROOM, A RECURRING SERIES THAT FEATURES A ROSTER OF WT ARTISTS IN CANDID, CAPTIVATING INTERVIEWS, OPENED THE SEASON IN SEPTEMBER. NEXT UP SOMETHING WICKED: STORYTELLING FOR HALLOWEEN, PRESENTED SPOOKY STORIES TOLD BY AN ALL-STAR LINEUP OF CHICAGO ACTORS. THIS EERIE AUDIO SERIES RELEASED FOUR EPISODES IN THE LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER 2020 ON SOUNDCLOUD FOR PUBLIC LISTENING. TWO SCROOGES: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, TWO WAYS PAIRED A FILMED PRODUCTION OF FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MICHAEL HALBERSTAM'S ACCLAIMED ONE-MAN A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH MANUAL CINEMA'S LIVE STREAMED PRODUCTION OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL. ONE-MAN A CHRISTMAS CAROL WAS PUBLISHED ON VIMEO FOR VIEWING WITH A PASSWORD AND MANUAL CINEMA'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL WAS HOSTED AS A TICKETED EVENT ON MARQUEE TV FROM DECEMBER 3, 2020 THROUGH JANUARY 3, 2021. WRITERS THEATRE THEN FILMED A STAGE PRODUCTION OF THE LAST MATCH, WHICH WAS FILMED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HMS MEDIA AND WAS AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING ON OVERTURE+ BETWEEN APRIL 28 AND MAY 30, 2021. THE SEASON CONCLUDED WITH RIDE SHARE. THIS CO-PRODUCTION WITH BLACK LIVES, BLACK WORDS WAS FILMED IN LOS ANGELES AND WAS AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING ON OVERTURE+ BETWEEN JUNE 23 AND JULY 25, 2021.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING:WRITERS THEATRE'S HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION INITIATIVES REACHED 529 STUDENTS THIS PAST YEAR, A NEAR 90% OF WHOM LIVE AND/OR ATTEND SCHOOL IN UNDER-RESOURCED AREAS. WT EDUCATION IS COMPRISED OF FOUR PILLARS: CLASSROOM RESIDENCIES, TOURING OUTREACH, STUDENT MATINEES, AND ON-SITE CREATIVE LEARNING. WITH A FULLY REMOTE 2020/21 SCHOOL YEAR, WT EDUCATION DEVELOPED DIGITAL VERSIONS OF ITS SIGNATURE PROGRAMMING TO SERVE CHICAGOLAND STUDENTS WITH ART INTEGRATED INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO FOSTER CONNECTION IN A DISTANCED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.RESIDENCY PROGRAMSTHE NOVEL SERIES IS AN ARTS-INTEGRATED THEATRE AND LITERACY RESIDENCY PROGRAM DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CPS TEACHERS. WHEN IN-PERSON CLASSROOM RESIDENCIES WERE INHIBITED BY COVID-19, WT EDUCATION WORKED WITH SCHOOL PARTNERS TO MODIFY THE NOVEL SERIES FOR A DIGITAL PLATFORM. THE ADAPTED RESIDENCY CENTERED THE CLASSROOM TEACHER DURING THE INITIAL PLANNING PHASE TO COLLABORATIVELY DEVELOP A RESIDENCY THAT MATCHED THEIR E-LEARNING CAPABILITIES AND MET CURRICULUM GOALS. EACH NOVEL SERIES RESIDENCY CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL GROUP WORK IN DIGITAL SPACES SO STUDENTS COULD ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF AN INTIMATE DISCUSSION-BASED APPROACH, WHICH HELPED CURTAIL THE ISOLATING EFFECTS OF REMOTE EDUCATION. IN ITS 12TH YEAR WORKING WITH CPS CLASSROOMS, THE NOVEL SERIES REACHED 336 STUDENTS IN 16 CLASSROOMS AT 4 SCHOOLS.THE WRITE ON! RESIDENCY IS A CUSTOMIZABLE PROGRAM THAT CREATES A BESPOKE PROJECT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL OR TEACHER. WRITE ON! PARTNERED WITH THE FAMILY SERVICE OF LAKE COUNTY FOR THE 2020/21 SCHOOL YEAR. WT EDUCATION INFUSED NUESTRO CLUB'S REMOTE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING WITH AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BLEND OF THEATRE, LITERARY AND VISUAL ARTS. THIS FIRST-EVER PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILY SERVICES OF LAKE COUNTY ENGAGED 145 STUDENTS, GRADES 1-11.STUDENT MATINEESDIGITAL ARTISTIC CONTENT ENABLED WT EDUCATION TO OFFER TEACHER PARTNERS ON-DEMAND STREAMING OF ONE-MAN A CHRISTMAS CAROL FOR CLASSROOM VIEWING. THE SHARED STREAMING LINK WAS OPENLY OFFERED TO TEACHERS SO THEY COULD UTILIZE THE FILMED PRODUCTION IN WHATEVER WAY SUPPORTED THEIR CURRICULUM. TEACHERS STREAMED ONE-MAN A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT THEIR DISCRETION, SO IT IS UNCLEAR HOW MANY STUDENTS VIEWED THE PRODUCTION. THE YOUTH COUNCIL ALSO HOSTED A DIGITAL VIEWING OF THE LAST MATCH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH URBAN GATEWAYS' TEEN ARTS PASS.ON-SITE CREATIVE LEARNINGWT EDUCATION ADAPTED ITS ON-SITE AFTERSCHOOL CLASSES FOR YOUNG ARTISTS TO MEET E-LEARNING STANDARDS. ALL CLASSES WERE STREAMED ON ZOOM AT THEIR REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIMES AND SPRING SESSIONS ENDED MAY 25, 2021. STUDENTS AGE 5-8 EXPLORED BELOVED FOLKLORE AND DEVISED THEIR VERY OWN TALES WITH FAMILIAR CHARACTERS. STUDENTS AGE 9-12 USED CREATIVE WRITING, VISUAL ARTMAKING AND PHYSICAL THEATRE TO BRING THEIR FAVORITE MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURES TO LIFE.THE WRITERS THEATRE YOUTH COUNCIL IS A LEADERSHIP ADVISORY BOARD FOR MOTIVATED, PASSIONATE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ENGAGING WITH AND INFORMING THE ART ON STAGE. AS PART OF THE COUNCIL, STUDENTS RECEIVED IN-DEPTH EXPOSURE TO THE ART AND BUSINESS OF THEATRE. YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENT A VALUED VOICE IN THEATRE OPERATIONS AND THE 2020/21 YOUTH COUNCIL WELCOMED 7 NEW MEMBERS FROM 4 DIFFERENT CHICAGOLAND SCHOOLS WHO MET BIMONTHLY VIA ZOOM.TOURING OUTREACHAFTER 15 YEARS OF TOURING AND OVER 83,000 CHICAGOLAND STUDENTS SERVED, WRITERS THEATRE IS RETIRING THE MLK PROJECT: THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS BY YOLANDA ANDROZZO. THE MLK PROJECT EXPLORED THE ROOTS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WITH A CHICAGO-SPECIFIC FOCUS TO EDUCATE, INSPIRE AND EMPOWER STUDENTS. TODAY'S STUDENTS HAVE A PRESENT RELATIONSHIP WITH ORGANIZED PROTEST MOVEMENTS AND WT EDUCATION IS DEVELOPING A NEW TOURING OUTREACH PRODUCTION TO PROMOTE CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE PROGRAM IS STILL IN EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROCESS WILL INCLUDE INPUT FROM AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TARGET AUDIENCE.

LITERARY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE:SINCE 1992, WRITERS THEATRE HAS PRODUCED 28 WORLD PREMIERES: 9 PLAYS, 15 ADAPTATIONS AND 4 MUSICALS. IN 2004, WT LAUNCHED THE LITERARY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (LDI) TO REVISIT CLASSIC WORKS, ADAPT CELEBRATED LITERATURE FOR THE STAGE AND USHER FORWARD TODAY'S MOST INNOVATIVE VOICES AS THE CLASSICS OF THE FUTURE. DURING THE 2020/21 SEASON, THE LDI CONTINUED TO SUPPORT WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT REMOTELY AND COMMISSIONED AN ORIGINAL BLUES REVUE BY FELICIA P. FIELDS AND RON OJ PARSON ENTITLED PEARL'S ROLLIN' WITH THE BLUES. WIFE OF A SALESMAN BY ELEANOR BURGESS RECEIVED A DIGITAL READING ON FEBRUARY 19, 2021.