For Immediate Release
SARA LEE FOUNDATION SPONSORS A SEASON OF WOMEN'S WORK
***GOODMAN THEATRE'S 2008/2009 SEASON SELECTIONS IN THE OWEN THEATRE FEATURE ALL FEMALE PLAYWRIGHTS AND DIRECTORS***
(March 6, 2008 - Chicago, IL) Goodman Theatre proudly announces a unique season sponsorship: the Sara Lee Foundation is the Corporate Sponsor of the 2008/2009 Owen Theatre season. All three of the season offerings in the 400-seat flexible Owen Bruner Goodman Theatre are written and directed by women-Ruined by Lynn Nottage, directed by Kate Whoriskey; Ghostwritten by Naomi Iizuka, directed by Lisa Portes; and The Crowd You're in With by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Wendy C. Goldberg-an aspect that appeals to the Sara Lee Foundation, which supports programs that focus on diversity and inclusion and generate significant visibility. In sponsoring a season dedicated to the artistic expression of people of color and women, the Sara Lee Foundation supports the Goodman's ongoing diversity initiatives, which challenge the broader community to participate in Chicago's cultural dialogue.
"Sara Lee's Owen Theatre season sponsorship is an incredibly generous and significant gift, one which signals an exciting and new kind of partnership for the Goodman," said Executive Director Roche Schulfer. "We are grateful for their support of our three Owen season selections."
About the Plays and Artists
Ruined
By Lynn Nottage, directed by Kate Whoriskey
Fall 2008
MacArthur Foundation Fellowship-winning playwright Lynn Nottage returns to the Goodman with her latest play, Ruined, which the theater commissioned, workshopped and produced as part of the 2007 New Stages Series. Set in the present day Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ruined centers around Mama Nadi, a savvy businesswoman who, in the midst of a complex civil war, protects and profits from the women whose bodies have become a battleground. Director Kate Whoriskey directed the world premiere of Vigils by Noah Haidle, Regina Taylor's Drowning Crow as well as The Rose Tattoo and Heartbreak House at Goodman Theatre.
Ghostwritten
By Naomi Iizuka, directed by Lisa Portes
Winter In 2009
Joyce Foundation Award-winning playwright Naomi Iizuka and director Lisa Portes make their Goodman Theatre debut with Ghostwritten. An American woman goes to Southeast Asia and strikes a bargain with a mysterious stranger. Twenty years later, she's become an acclaimedchef specializing in Asian cuisine with an adopted Vietnamese-born daughter and a life that is successful beyond her wildest dreams-until the stranger from her past reappears to collect on an old debt. A striking reimagining of the tale of Rumplestiltskin, Ghostwritten explores the relationship between America and Southeast Asia, unearthing the wounds of the Vietnam War, and uncovering what it means to come face to face with the ghosts of your past.
The Crowd You're in With
By Rebecca Gilman, directed by Wendy C. Goldberg
Spring 2009
A backyard barbeque is the perfect place to tackle life's big questions: Is the chicken done? Does the band need a new tune? Is this the right time to have a baby? Rebecca Gilman's fresh and moving new play takes an intimate look at modern families, friendships and the ins and outs of love. Playwright Rebecca Gilman returns to Goodman Theatre where her plays Dollhouse, Spinning Into Butter, Boy Gets Girl and Blue Surge enjoyed their world premiere productions. The Crowd You're in With was chosen for the 2007 Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference-where it was directed by Wendy C. Goldberg-and premiered at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco in 2007. Gilman's other plays include The Sweetest Swing in Baseball and The Glory of Living, which was named a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize. For the past five years, Goldberg has been artistic director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut; prior to that she was Arena Stage's Artistic Associate.
About Goodman Theatre
Named the country's Best Regional Theatre by Time magazine (2003), Goodman Theatre is a leader in the American theater, internationally recognized for its artists, productions and educational programs since its founding in 1925. Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer's forward-thinking leadership has earned the Goodman unparalleled artistic distinction, garnered hundreds of awards-including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre (1992)-and moved dozens of plays from Chicago to stages in New York and abroad. Central to its commitment to the reinvestigation of classics and development of new plays and artists is the Goodman's Artistic Collective, including Frank Galati, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Regina Taylor and Mary Zimmerman. The largest not-for-profit theater in Chicago, the Goodman moved in 2000 into a brand new state-of-the-art complex which houses two principal theaters: the 856-seat Albert Ivar Goodman Theatre and the 400-seat flexible Owen Bruner Goodman Theatre. Board Chairman is Shawn M. Donnelley and Alice Young Sabl is chair of the Women's Board. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre. Kraft Foods is the Principal Sponsor of the Goodman's free Student Subscription Series.
Still to come in the 2007/2008 season: The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote, directed by Harris Yulin as part of Goodman Theatre's Horton Foote Festival (March 1 - April 6); The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Bayeza, directed by Oz Scott (April 26 - June 1, 2008); Ain't Misbehavin': The Fats Waller Musical Show based on an idea by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., music by Fats Waller, directed by Chuck Smith (June 21 - July 27); Please note that the previously announced production The Boys are Coming Home has been cancelled; one production in the Owen Theatre to be announced.
For more information call Goodman Theatre's Publicity Office: 312.443.5151.
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