American Blues Theater is a nonprofit, professional Equity theater company in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
History
American Blues Theater was founded in 1985 by Ed Blatchford, Rick Cleveland, Bill Payne and Jim Leaming as a company dedicated to new and classic American plays. Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune cited the theater as one of three companies in his editorial "Chicago Theater Forges New Standards of Glory."
From 1997 to 2009, the company was led by artistic directors from outside of the ensemble. Under this leadership from 1997 to 2007, the theater's name changed to the American Theater Company (ATC), the mission statement was revised, and the business expanded significantly. In 2008, under new management, the ensemble theater practice was dismantled. After 18 months of talks with new management, all four founders and every ensemble member before 2008 left the ATC in March 2009 citing "major administrative and artistic differences."
The ensemble immediately reformed under its original name of the American Blues Theater. The founding board members reconstituted the board, and ensemble member Gwendolyn Whiteside became the artistic director. Under her leadership, American Blues has expanded the ensemble and diversified its base of artists. Whiteside established the annual Blue Ink Award for playwriting, incorporated community service into the company's mission, and developed arts education programming for Chicago Public Schools, which serves just under 4,000 students annually.
After more than three decades as an itinerant theater, in 2022 American Blues Theater purchased a 17,965 sq ft property at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago to transform into its first permanent home. The venue includes a 137-seat proscenium and a 50-seat flexible studio. The renovated venue opened in November 2023.
Community service
American Blues Theater provides community service for not-for-profit organizations such as The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Chicago Public Schools, American Indian Center, HANA Center, Chicago Latina Moms, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the United Service Organizations. Since 2009, the theater has held food and book drives, distributed promotional tickets, and raised awareness for children's surgeries and health needs.
Awards
The theater is a previous winner of American Theatre Wing's National Theatre Company Award.
As of 2024, the theater and artists have 238 Jeff Awards and nominations, marking distinction in Chicago theater, and 44 Black Theater Alliance Awards.
Production history
More than half of the mainstage productions are world and Chicago premieres. The theater's new play development consists of a variety of programs, including world and Chicago premieres, the Blue Ink Award for playwriting, Blueprint play development, and the annual festival of short plays, The Ripped Festival.
Blue Ink Award for playwriting
American Blues Theater's nationally renowned Blue Ink Award for playwriting was created in 2010 to support new work. Each year the theater accepts worldwide submissions of original, unpublished full-length plays. The winning play is selected by the artistic director and the theater's Ensemble.
Since inception, 14 Award winners, 148 finalists, and 223 semi-finalists have been named. Recent winners include:
- 2024 – The Conquered by Ken Urban
- 2023 – Things With Friends by Kristoffer Diaz
- 2022 – The Reapers on Woodbrook Avenue by Mardee Bennett
- 2021 – Refugee Rhapsody by Yussef El Guindi
- 2020 – Recent Unsettling Events by Andrea Stolowitz
- 2019 – Alma by Benjamin Benne | world premiere American Blues Theater, Chicago, 2022; Center Theater Group, L.A., 2022
- 2018 – Welcome to Matteson! by Inda Craig-Galván
- 2017 – Hype Man by Idris Goodwin | world premiere Company One, Boston, 2018
- 2016 – The Wind and the Breeze by Nathan Alan Davis | world premiere Cygnet Theatre, San Diego, 2018
- 2015 – Other Than Honorable by Jamie Pachino | world premiere Geva Theatre Center, NY, 2017
- 2014 – Comden Mall Community Activists by Douglas Post
- 2013 – Graveyard of Empires by Elaine Romero | world premiere 16th Street Theater, Chicago, 2015
- 2012 – American Myth by Christina Telesca | world premiere American Blues Theater, Chicago, 2014
- 2011 – American Home by Stephanie Walker | world premiere, Pasadena, CA, 2017
References
As of this edit, this article uses content from "Ensemble History", which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under the GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.
- Olympia Dukakis to Participate in American Blues Theater's 'Rebirth of Blues' Benefit, 11/16
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