Ghostlight is excited to announce the addition of a fourth Artistic Associate this month. Emma Baker joins the company after her turn as Mary Eastwood in The Thirteenth Chair.
Emma, a native of Wisconsin, moved to Chicago in 2013 after graduating from Trinity University with a degree in neuroscience.
Learn more about Emma and all our Ensemble members here.
Terra Mysterium
Ghostlight Ensemble announced today its lineup for the second annual Holiday Cabernet, schedule to take place on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The company's non-traditional, sometimes irreverent, always tipsy holiday cabaret features stand-up comedians, musical performers, dancers, magicians, storytellers, drag performers, improvisers and poets, as well as a holiday market area and raffle.
This year's host is the fabulous Ann Marie Carrothers, an award-winning singer, comedian, digital educator and filmmaker.
Performers include: Chris Petty, Hugh Dis, Improvised Jane Austen, J. Rohr, Jacob Mayfield, Jae Green, Miss Alley Cat & Labyrinth Arts, Terra Mysterium and The Holidudes, with more to be added. Read more about the performers here.
The evening begins at 8 p.m. at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613). Tickets are $20 and include heavy appetizers, as well as beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks. Tickets are available in advance via Brown Paper Tickets or at the door.
The Selfish Giant, 2019
As your inbox and social media has surely notified you by now, today is GivingTuesday — a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world.
As we approach the end of 2019, we felt Giving Tuesday was the appropriate time to look back, not just at the year that was, but way back to what made us who we are today. We, the Ensemble, want to share with you our personal stories of why theatre matters to us and, in turn, to others.
We know this time of year you are bombarded with requests from very worthy organizations and some of them are literally saving lives on a day-to-day basis, but theatre can also sometimes make a life or death difference in a person's life. Here’s how.
Giving Tuesday is a chance to talk about our values and why we care so much about the work that we do. Thank for listening, for caring and for Giving.
Actors Kayla White, Alina Taber and Justin Broom have joined Ghostlight as associate ensemble members. All three have been seen in Ghostlight productions this season.
Kayla was first seen in our Nightlight production of The Princess Without Pots in 2017 and most recently was in our live reading Must Eat TV 3.
Alina, who is also a film actress and musician, recently starred as Helen O’Neill in our staged reading of The Thirteenth Chair.
Justin was also in The Thirteenth Chair, taking on the role of Trent. In addition, he has lent his talents to our live readings of Reality Bites and Must Eat TV 3.
Full bios of all our artists can be found on the About Us: The Ensemble page of our website.
The Holiday Cabernet is back for a second year! On Saturday, Dec. 14, enjoy an evening of holiday classics (or not-so-classics) by favorite G.E.T. performers, emerging artists and surprise guests in a cabaret-style setting with a host who may or may not be toasted.
This year's host is the fabulous Ann Marie Carrothers, an award-winning singer, comedian, digital educator and filmmaker. Performers include: Chris Petty, Hugh Dis, Improvised Jane Austen, J. Rohr, Jacob Mayfield, Jeanette Green, Labyrinth Arts, Terra Mysterium and The Holidudes.
For year two, we've also added a holiday vendor area so you can do some holiday shopping in addition to indulging in the holiday cheer. Ticket price includes light food and drinks (including our signature cocktail, The Ghostlight).
G.E.T. into the holiday spirits and join us for a night of song, dance, theatre, good cheer and revelry at Vagabond School of the Arts. G.E.T. yule holiday fun on!
The Chicago Reader has announced its Best of Chicago 2019: ARTS & CULTURE winners and Ghostlight was awarded runner up for Best Off Loop company.
This is an amazing honor, especially considering we are only three years old, there are over 200 theatre companies in the Chicago area and from all those choices, Chicago readers voted us second only to the storied Steppenwolf Theatre — a company that was founded in 1974, has a multi-million dollar budget, owns its own theater complex and regularly sends plays on to Broadway.
Thank you to everyone who voted for us.
We're also thrilled to announced that our Co-Artistic Director Maria Burnham was named Best Director and Best Playwright.
In addition, Stefanie Johnsen, one of our regular guest artists (who worked with us on Krampus and An Ideal Husband), was named Best Designer and Improvised Jane Austen (who worked with us on Gingerbread Grindhouse and will be featuring in our upcoming Holiday Cabernet) was named Best Improv Group.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking directors for its Make/Believe festival set for February 22 and 23 in the NorthCenter neighborhood of Chicago.
The short play festival geared toward young audiences is part of our Nightlight program and will feature scripts by playwrights from around the country.
Interested directors should submit a resume and a statement of interest with any additional relevant experience to Maria Burnham at maria@ghostlightensemble.com. Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Nightlight Festival - [director’s name]
The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2019.
Ghostlight Ensemble brings back the popular Thanksgiving installment of its ongoing live movie reading series, Must Eat TV 3: A Live Reading of Your Favorite Thanksgiving Television Episodes.
Thanksgiving is all about stuffing yourself silly with family and friends; ignoring your redneck cousin Jack and his 23 kids and his 12 dogs; giving thanks; and television. So join your Ghostlight family, friends and cousin Jack for a celebration of everyone's favorite eating holiday.
The lineup features “Blitzgiving” from How I Met Your Mother, “Shibboleth” from The West Wing and “Auntsgiving” from Blackish at 7:30 p.m. at Carbon Arc Bar & Board, located in the Davis Theater in North Center.
There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season, AND a non-perishable good or additional cash donation to benefit North Center’s Common Pantry, which provides emergency food and social services to those in need.
Voting ends at noon on Monday, October 21, for the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2019 poll. Ghostlight is excited to be nominated in two categories: Best Established Theater Company and Best Off-Loop Theater Company.
We'd be honored if you would follow this link to vote for us. And you can ask your friends and family to do so as well, as there are no restrictions on voting.
Please note: You don’t have to fill out all the categories if you’re only interested in voting for a few of them, however you DO have to go to the final page (About You) and hit the Finish button for your vote to count.
In addition, a number of our collaborators and Ensemble members are nominated as well.
Our Co-Artistic Director Maria Burnham is nominated for both Best Director and Best Playwright.
Stefanie Johnsen is nominated for Best Designer. Stefanie designed the costumes for our production of An Ideal Husband.
And Improvised Jane Austen is nominated for Best sketch/improv troupe. Ensemble Member Holly Robison is a member of IJA and the group has performed at a number of our past events.
In addition, Carbon Arc Bar, which hosts our Live Movie Reading Series is up for Best Cinema Bar.
Thanks so much for your vote! You are what’s truly Best about Chicago!
District Brew Yards in West Town is hosting Ghostlight Ensemble on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. for its Cents for Causes.
Come drink with the Ensemble, get to know us, learn more details on what we have planned for this season and find out how you can be involved (if that’s your cup of tea)! District Brew Yards donates 10 cents per ounce of beer you buy to Ghostlight.
District Brew Yards, 417 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago, is a pour-your-own-beer tap room. The cashless beer hall offers brews from Burnt City Brewing, Around the Bend Beer Co. and Bold Dog Beer Co., and serves barbecue, in case you’d like some smoked meats to compliment your drink.
We can’t wait to see you all!
Ghostlight is honored and excited to be nominated in two categories for the Reader's Best of Chicago 2019: Best established theater company and Best off-Loop theater company.
We'd love if our supporters would follow this link to vote for us. And you can ask your friends and family to do so as well, as there are no restrictions on voting.
Please note: You don’t have to fill out all the categories if you’re only interested in voting for a few of them, however you DO have to go to the final page (About You) and hit the Finish button for your vote to count.
While you're voting for us, please consider also these other Ghostlight affiliated folks:
Our Co-Artistic Director Maria Burnham is nominated for both Best Director and Best Playwright.
Stefanie Johnsen is nominated for Best Designer. Stefanie designed the costumes for our production of An Ideal Husband.
And Improvised Jane Austen is nominated for Best sketch/improv troupe. Ensemble Member Holly Robison is a member of IJA and the group has performed at a number of our past events.
In addition, Carbon Arc Bar, which hosts our Live Movie Reading Series is up for Best Cinema Bar.
We appreciate the continued support of the community and we’re so thrilled to be a finalist for Best of Chicago.
Ghostlight Ensemble announced the cast of its first endeavor of the 2019-2020 Season, a staged reading of The Thirteenth Chair, by Bayard Veiller.
The play, which is directed by Ensemble Member Chad Wise, stars: Emma Baker (Miss Eastwood), Noah Berman (Wales/Dunn), Justin Broom (Trent), Jean E. Burr (Miss Erskine), Norman J. Burt (Mr. Crosby), Elijah Cox (Will Crosby), Sean Harklerode (Tim Donohue), Casey Kramer (Rosalie), Miona Lee (Miss Standish), Allison McCorkle (Mrs. Crosby), Sean Peck-Collier (Mason), Jonathan Saucedo (Standish), Alina Taber (Helen O'Neill) and Michelle Ziccarelli (Mrs. Trent).
During a séance at the home of the wealthy Crosby family, a man is murdered. All the doors and windows are locked and the murder weapon can’t be found. How will the real murderer be uncovered?
The Thirteenth Chair, which is presented as a whodunit, has strains of deeper social issues that still resonate today. By setting up Rosalie, the Irish immigrant medium, as a foil to the police Inspector Donohue, Veiller touches on issues of sexism, classism, prejudices and the way police dismiss immigrant populations - even ones they may be part of.
Ghostlight presents a staged reading of the original 1916 play over three days.
Ghostlight Ensemble teams up with Terra Mysterium in October to present special installment of its ongoing live movie reading series with Don’t Keep Him Waiting: A Live Reading of the Original The Wicker Man — just in time for All Hallows' Eve.
Dig out your animal masks or costumes of any sort and join us at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro in North Center.
The Wicker Man is a 1973 British horror film that follows Police Sergeant Neil Howie as he travels to the isolated island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl. Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled to find that the inhabitants of the island have abandoned Christianity and now practice a form of Celtic paganism.
The reading will feature live musical performances and is directed by Matthew Ellenwood.
Spice World 2018 at Celtic Crown
We love live theatre, but we also love movies. So we combine our love for both into an ongoing live reading of some of our favorite films. But now we want to read some of YOUR favorite films.
We’re setting our 2020 Live Movie Reading Series lineup and taking votes (and suggestions) on Facebook to see what our audiences would like to see. Make your voice heard! The current poll pits Ghostbusters against Legally Blonde, but there will be a new one each week in September. Keep checking back — and encourage your friends to vote too!
Ghostlight Ensemble invites poets, dancers, artists, storytellers, comedians and musicians to perform at our Holiday Cabernet fundraiser on December 14. We welcome performers of diverse skills and talents at this event.
Performances should be 5-10 minutes in length and themed to any of the winter holidays. Show off your talents in spoken word, slam poetry, excerpt reading, improv, dancing, comedy, music or any medium of your choice. The Cabernet is an excellent opportunity to try out new material in front of a friendly, supportive audience.
To submit, please send us a paragraph on your proposal and what genre of performance it falls under and any relevant links to your previous work. Email Jean at casting@ghostlightensemble.com. Deadline for submissions is November 1.
If you are selected we will contact you to communicate event details and information on how you would like to be recognized.
Performers will receive one complimentary ticket to the event and food and drink will be provided. There is no pay.
The event takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N Ravenswood Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60613).
Maria Burnham
Miona Lee
Ghostlight announced today that Ensemble members Miona Lee and Maria Burnham have taken over as co-artistic directors from Holly Robison, who has served as an artistic director since the company was founded in 2016. Robison remains with the Ensemble as a producing director.
Both Burnham and Lee are founding members of the company and veterans of the Chicago theatre scene. Lee previously served as Literary Manager for the company and Burnham as the Marketing and Communications Director. The pair most recently co-directed Ghostlight’s summer show for young audiences, The Selfish Giant.
Full bios for both women can be found in the About section on the Ghostlight website.
Before stepping down, Robison helped guide the new season selection, which focuses on strong, female characters.
More about the announcement and the new Ghostlight season can be found here.
Ghostlight Ensemble announced its Season 3 lineup, including a staged reading of a little-produced World War I-era play, a play festival with new works for young audiences and a Shakespearean comedy that takes place in a living room – quite literally.
The company also announced a change in leadership with Ensemble members Miona Lee and Maria Burnham taking over as co-artistic directors from Holly Robison, who has served as an artistic director since the company was founded in 2016. Robison remains with the Ensemble as a producing director.
Both Burnham and Lee are founding members of the company and veterans of the Chicago theatre scene. Lee previously served as Literary Manager for the company and Burnham as the Marketing and Communications Director. The pair most recently co-directed Ghostlight’s summer show for young audiences, The Selfish Giant.
“Holly has been an incredible Artistic Director for Ghostlight’s initial seasons. Making a mark in a city full of so many magnificent theater companies is no small feat and she’s done a fantastic job guiding us,” Lee said. “I hope to continue pushing us in the direction of creating thought-provoking works.”
“I think our leadership will be a natural progression from the foundation Holly laid for this company,” added Burnham. “We will continue to push for works that challenge the status quo, that encourage new voices, and new stories and that shine light in places where darkness has allowed ignorance to grow. And we will also continue to tell great stories in unique ways.”
Full bios for both women can be found here.
Before stepping down, Robison helped guide the new season selection, which focuses on strong, female characters.
“I am so honored to have been a Founding Member and Artistic Director for Ghostlight Ensemble,” Robison said. “It has truly been a wonderful, challenging, and rewarding few years. I’m so proud of the work Ghostlight has produced, and even more excited about the work ahead, especially in our coming season, which we like to call our year of Strong Female Leads.
“While I look forward to staying on as Producing Director and directing our immersive spring production of Much Ado About Nothing, I’m also so thrilled to be handing the reins over to Maria Burnham and Miona Lee as Co-Artistic Directors. In the season of Strong Female Leads, what could be more fitting than these two fierce females leading our company? They are both great artists and great leaders, and I can’t wait to see where they take Ghostlight in the coming years. Thanks to all the Ghostlight Company Members, Artistic Associates, collaborators, and supporters for a great few years as Artistic Director!”
Ghostlight will begin its third season in October with a staged reading of the Bayard Veiller play, The Thirteenth Chair, a turn-of-the-century thriller set during a séance. The reading will be directed by Ghostlight Managing Director Chad Wise.
The Thirteenth Chair, written in 1916, takes place at the home of the wealthy Crosby family. But the phony séance turns out to be the scene of a very real murder. All the doors and windows are locked and the murder weapon can’t be found. How will the real murderer be uncovered?
The reading takes place October 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and October 20 at 2:30 p.m. at Vagabond School of the Arts (4001 N. Ravenswood Ave, Suite 503B, Chicago).
In February, the company will continue its Nightlight young audiences series with a curated festival of short plays by playwrights from around the country. The plays, geared towards children 12 and under, will all have one unifying feature – strong female characters, continuing the theme of the season. Plays are currently being solicited and script selection will be made in early November. Playwrights interested in submitting to the festival can find more details on the Ghostlight website.
Ghostlight will round out the season in the spring of 2020 with Shakespeare’s beloved romantic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. Audiences will be invited into Leonato’s Albany Park home to witness firsthand the merry war between Benedick and Beatrice, as well as the less merry machinations of Don John, as this immersive production brings guests, not to a theater, but to a condo on Chicago’s westside. The production will be directed by Holly Robison.
“This season is all about empowerment – from the astute Madame Rosalie La Grange to the outspoken Beatrice – these ladies are not afraid to take charge of their situations,” Lee said. “Nightlight is inspiring our younger audiences as well, with our festival of short plays chock full of strong female and non-binary characters.”
In addition, the company will once again host the Holiday Cabernet – an evening of holiday classics (or not-so-classics) by favorite G.E.T. performers, emerging artists and surprise guests in a cabaret-style setting with an M.C. who overindulges in the holiday spirits. The Cabernet takes place at 8 p.m. on December 14 at Vagabond School of the Arts.
Ghostlight also will continue its popular Live Movie Reading Series throughout the year at Carbon Arc Bar & Board, located in the Davis Theater. Next up in the series is: You and Me and Five Bucks: A Live Reading of Reality Bites. The reading, celebrating the 25th anniversary of this quintessential Gen X film, takes place at 7:30 p.m. Monday, August 28, at Carbon Arc (4614 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago).
Find out more about Ghostlight Ensemble and the entire 2019-2020 Season at GhostlightEnsemble.com.
Ghostlight Ensemble is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit theatre whose mission it is to ask questions that challenge the status quo through timeless stories, immersive environments and unconventional staging.
Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking actors for a staged reading of Bayard Veiller's The Thirteenth Chair. The staged reading is part of the company's development process and those involved in the reading will receive first consideration in casting for the full production.
The Thirteenth Chair is a play written in 1916 set during a phony seance at the home of the wealthy Crosby family. But the phony seance turns out to be the scene of a very real murder. All the doors and windows are locked and the murder weapon can't be found. How will the murderer be uncovered?
The full script can be found here.
Character Descriptions
Seeking a strong, ethnically diverse cast of all genders, ages, shapes and sizes for about 14 roles (with some double casting).
Details
Auditions will be held from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7 in Lakeview.
The staged reading will take place at 7:30 p.m. on October 18 & 19 and 2:30 p.m. on October 20 at Vagabond School of the Arts.
Rehearsals will be scheduled around actor availability. There is no pay.
Material To Prepare
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. There will be no callbacks.
Please email a resume and headshot to Jean at casting@ghostlightensemble.com.
Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts (a maximum of 15 minutes) with strong female characters that are geared toward young audiences (under 12). Priority will be placed on scripts that are ethnically and culturally diverse, that do not require complicated sets or costumes and that fit our mission. This is open to playwrights in any geographic area. NO FEE.
Selected plays will be produced as part of a festival of theatre for children under our Nightlight banner in early February.
Electronic submissions only, please. Submit cover letter with full contact information, short bio, brief synopsis of script including development and production history (if applicable) and full script to Maria Burnham at scripts@ghostlightensemble.com. Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Nightlight Script Submission: [play name] - [playwright name]
The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2019.
Ghostlight Ensemble presents the next installment of its ongoing live movie reading series with You And Me And Five Bucks: A Live Reading of Reality Bites.
So dig out your best Gen X ennui and join us at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, August 26 at Carbon Arc Bar & Board (4614 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625), located in the Davis Theater in North Center.
Reality Bites is a 1994 romantic comedy/drama that follows the lives of recently graduation Gen Xers as they navigate the pitfalls of life, love and the search for gainful employment. The plot centers on Lelaina (played by Winona Ryder), an aspiring videographer, who is working on a documentary called Reality Bites about the disenfranchised lives of her friends and roommates.
The live reading is directed by Maria Burnham.
There is a suggested donation of Five Bucks at the door, which will help Ghostlight fund its upcoming season. We’re also raising funds for Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe, a nonprofit cafe in North Center that provides transitional job skills to at-risk youth and also provides an excellent place to grab a cup of coffee and a little bit of conversation.