Spotlight: Northlight streams pandemic-related 'The Catastrophist'
Play for a pandemic
Written and staged during the COVID-19 pandemic, "The Catastrophist," by Lauren Gunderson ("The Book of Will," "Silent Sky," "Miss Bennet," "The Wickhams") is a play for pandemic times. Inspired by her husband, virologist Nathan Wolfe, Gunderson's "psychological solo show" tells the story of his work tracking viral outbreaks while asking the question: How do you prepare for a catastrophe? Northlight Theatre streams the premiere in cooperation with Marin Theatre Company and Round House Theatre.
Streams on demand from Thursday, March 11, through March 31 at northlight.org/events/catastrophist. $30.
'Call me Ishmael ...'
Theatre in the Dark presents a live, online audio adaptation of Herman Melville's classic "Moby Dick," in which a young sailor tells the story of his captain's obsession with exacting revenge on the giant white whale that bit off his leg. Co-founder Corey Bradberry adapts and directs the production, which incorporates live Foley effects, recorded sound and a musical score by Nick Montopoli. The cast includes Elizabeth McCoy as Ishmael, Robinson J. Cyprian as Captain Ahab, and Mack Gordon as Starbuck.
Streams Thursday, March 11, through April 10. 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday and at 10 p.m. April 7. Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $20-$30. See theatreinthedark.com.
In other news
• First Folio Theatre's Bedtime Tales series continues with artistic associate Diana Coates reading "The Story of Jumping Mouse," a Native American tale written and illustrated by John Steptoe, and Michael Goldberg reading from "Uncle Wiggily's Adventures: Uncle Wiggily Goes Fishing" by Howard R. Garis. The stories stream online through July 15 at firstfolio.org.
• Chicago native Sheila Carrasco performs "Anyone But Me," her solo show examining female identity and the array of personas women create for themselves. Most women "tend to wrap our identities around a single aspect - a relationship, our job or work ethic, our racial or maybe immigrant background, our perceptions of ourselves as artists," said Carrasco in a prepared statement. "This play is an exploration of all my different alter egos and the insecurities I've had in my life, and about accepting the nuance of everything that makes me who I am." The show streams at iamatheatre.com beginning March 21.
• Pivot Arts, which showcases multidisciplinary performances, launches the Pivot Arts Podcast this week. Founder and director Julieanne Ehre hosts the show, which features short performances and interviews. The series debuts with Neo-Futurists' managing director Jorge Silva and ensemble member Ida Cuttler discussing how to stay creative during the pandemic. Episode two on March 31 is titled "Black Utopia" and features Anna Martine Whitehead and Jenn Freeman (Po'Chop) with Jocelyn Prince discussing how to make arts organizations more equitable and inclusive. See pivotarts.org.
• As part of its fundraising efforts, Chicago's Shattered Globe Theatre will raffle off a 1930s Corona typewriter donated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks' personal collection on Monday, March 8. Raffle tickets are $50 each. See sgtheatre.org.
• A women's history event that combines live and virtual events celebrating historical women with Chicago ties - leaders in science, business, culture and social justice - takes place at 6 p.m. Monday, March 8, and Friday, March 12, and 1 p.m. March 20 and 27. Sculptor Enid Yandell, ballerina Maria Tallchief, aviator Bessie Coleman, broadcaster Iva Toguri D'Aquino, and psychologist and neuroscientist Naomi Weisstein are the women featured as part of the Chicago Detours series. Tickets for the Women's History Month event are $20 for individuals, $35 for a household. See chicagodetours.com/virtual-tours.
• Joseph Jefferson Award winner Felicia P. Fields, a Chicago-area favorite who's performed at Marriott, Drury Lane, Northlight, Goodman and other theaters, will receive Porchlight Music Theatre's Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Musical Theatre later this month. The award will be presented during Porchlight's annual Chicago Sings fundraising concert "Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway" at 7 p.m. March 20, with viewing available through April 18. Tickets range from $25 to $500 and will be available beginning March 12 at porchlightmusictheatre.org. Bethany Thomas, Heidi Kettenring, Donterrio Johnson, Lucy Godinez, Michelle Lauto, Andrew Mueller and Sawyer Smith are among the theater artists scheduled to perform.
• The first season of Court Theatre's Spotlight Podcast, with creator and host Aaron Mays, concludes Thursday, March 11. This season has focused on Black literary figures from history whose works aren't often dramatized by theaters. Featured writers include novelist and editor Pauline Hopkins, activist and journalist Ida B. Wells, poet Phillis Wheatley, and diarist Alice Moore. Episodes are available at courttheatre.org.
• Oak Brook's First Folio Theatre, Glen Ellyn's Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and Naperville's BrightSide Theatre were among the 24 arts organizations that shared in $300,000 grants awarded by the DuPage Foundation to help offset losses incurred by COVID-19-related shutdowns. The Elmhurst Art Museum, Salt Creek Ballet and the Chicago Sinfonietta were also among the organizations that received grants ranging from $870 to $15,000. See dupagefoundation.org.