Production Manager needed for 'Alabama Story'

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Production Manager for its fall production of Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones. Alabama Story is based on the true story in the 1950s about an Alabama State Librarian facing an effort to ban a children’s book about a white bunny and a black bunny who get married. This is a timely and moving story that weaves together historical occurrences with fictional characters to drive home the real-world implications of censorship and book-banning that we still face today.

Production Manager can work primarily virtually, with attendance at in-person designer run and select tech week rehearsals. Please note that this production will be at site-specific locations, so there will be fewer design and tech elements/roles to coordinate than in a traditional venue. There is an opportunity to combine this role with Stage Manager for an increased stipend.

Key Dates
Production Schedule:

Rehearsals in September 2024. 3-4 rehearsals/week on weeknights or weekend days, to be scheduled according to cast availability. Production planning will likely begin in August.

Tech week: Sunday,  September 22 in the afternoon and Monday, September 23 through Thursday September 26 in the evenings

Performances: show will run Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon matinees from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, October 20, 2024, at site specific locations in Chicago.

Instructions to Apply:

To be considered, please send resume to Holly Robison, holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Pay Rate/Range*: $200 stipend

Organization Contact Name: Holly Robison

Organization Email Contact: holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Dialect Coach needed for 'Alabama Story'

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Dialect Coach for its fall production of Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones. Alabama Story is based on the true story in the 1950s about an Alabama State Librarian facing an effort to ban a children’s book about a white bunny and a black bunny who get married. This is a timely and moving story that weaves together historical occurrences with fictional characters to drive home the real-world implications of censorship and book-banning that we still face today.

Dialect Coach will be available for direct dialogue sessions with actors via zoom or in-person, as well as attend select in-person rehearsals as agreed upon with production manager and director.

Key Dates
Production Schedule:

Rehearsals in September 2024. 3-4 rehearsals/week on weeknights or weekend days, to be scheduled according to cast availability. Some dialect work may be able to be scheduled in August.

Tech week: Sunday, September 22 in the afternoon and Monday, September 23 through Thursday September 26 in the evenings

Performances: show will run Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon matinees from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, October 20, 2024, at site specific locations throughout Chicago.

Instructions to Apply: To be considered, please send resume to Holly Robison, holly@ghostlgihtensemble.com

Pay Rate: $250 stipend

Contact Info:
Holly Robison: holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Job Type: Freelance/Contract/Temp
Compensation: $250 stipend

Seeking directors for 2023 short play festival for young audiences

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking directors for its fourth annual Make/Believe festival for young audiences set for live, outdoor performances in May and June.

The festival will feature five short plays written by playwrights from Chicago and around the country. A summary of the scripts is available on the 2023 Make/Believe page.

In particular we are seeking Korean American, Greek American and Black directors, but encourage all BIPOC and LBGTQIA+ directors to apply. We welcome early career directors or actors interested in branching into directing and will provide a company mentor to help you through the process.

Rehearsals will be scheduled around cast and director availability.

A technical rehearsal is scheduled for May 25 from 5 to 10 p.m. (Pieces will be scheduled so directors will not be required to attend the entire tech.) Tech and performance will take place outside at the NorthCenter Town Square.

Performances are Saturday & Sunday May 27-28 and Saturday & Sunday June 3-4 (Tentative schedule: Set up at 12:30 p.m., Performance at 1:30 p.m. Load out by 4 p.m.).

Directors will receive a $50 stipend.

Interested directors should submit a resume and a statement of interest with any additional relevant experience to Caryn Brieschke at info@ghostlightensemble.com. Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Nightlight Festival - [director’s name]

The deadline for submissions is April 1.

Holiday Cabernet 2022: A Call for Performers

Ghostlight Ensemble invites poets, dancers, artists, storytellers, comedians and musicians to perform at our fourth annual Holiday Cabernet fundraiser on December 11. 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 27.

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 $20, plus tips and a cut of the door.

The event takes place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 11 at Mrs. Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro (3905 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60613).

Call for scripts: Seeking short children's plays for 4nd annual Make/Believe festival

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts (a maximum of 15 minutes) that are geared toward young audiences. Priority will be placed on scripts that are ethnically and culturally diverse, and written by writers of color and/or LGBTQ writers. This is open to playwrights in any geographic area, though writers in the greater Chicago area will receive priority. NO FEE.

Playwrights will receive $25 per selected script.

Selected plays will be produced in the late spring of 2022 as part of the fourth annual Make/Believe festival of theatre for children under our Nightlight banner. (Learn more about the 2020 festival, the 2021 festival and the 2022 festival with these links.) The performances will be held live, with a location or locations TBD.

Please pay close attention to the script requirements. Scripts that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered. 

Requirements

• A maximum of 3 actors per script. There are no restrictions, however, on the number of characters. Please note, that while some directors have chosen to use child actors in past pieces, the intent of this festival is to perform for children, not with children.

• Plays must have minimal to no technical demands, as there is a possibility these plays will be performed outside and/or in multiple locations. There may be no lighting or backstage area, although minimal sound cues will be available.

• Must fit our mission.

• Geared toward children 11 and under. Please, NO scripts about high school students.

• All props, set pieces and costumes must be easily made at home by actors (and children watching who want to stage their own productions at home).

• Pieces can be previously produced, but cannot have a production running concurrently with Make/Believe. 

Electronic submissions only, please. Submit cover letter with full contact information, a short author bio, brief synopsis of script — including development and production history (if applicable) — and the 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]. To clarify, the information in brackets should be replaced by the name of your play and your name.

The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2022.

Seeking directors for 2022 short play festival for young audiences

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking directors for its third annual Make/Believe festival for young audiences set for live, outdoor performances the last three Saturdays in July.

The festival will feature seven short plays written by playwrights from around the country. A summary of the scripts is available on the 2022 Make/Believe page.

In particular we are seeking Filipino-American, Black female directors and non-binary directors, but encourage all BIPOC and LBGTQIA+ directors to apply. We welcome early career directors or actors interested in branching into directing and will provide a company mentor to help you through the process.

Rehearsals will be scheduled around cast and director availability. In order to keep the number of people involved to a minimum, a pool of actors will be used for all seven pieces.

A technical rehearsal is scheduled for July 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. (Pieces will be scheduled so directors will not be required to attend the entire tech.) Tech and performance will take place outside at the NorthCenter Town Square.

Directors will receive a $50 stipend.

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 April 18.

Call for scripts: Seeking short children's plays for 3nd annual Make/Believe festival

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts (a maximum of 15 minutes) that are geared toward young audiences. Priority will be placed on scripts that are ethnically and culturally diverse, and written by writers of color and/or LGBTQ writers. This is open to playwrights in any geographic area, though writers in the greater Chicago area will receive priority. NO FEE.

Playwrights will receive $25 per selected script.

Selected plays will be produced summer of 2022 as part of the third annual Make/Believe festival of theatre for children under our Nightlight banner. (Learn more about the 2020 festival here and the 2021 festival here.) This for live, outdoor performances.

Please pay close attention to the script requirements. Scripts that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered. 

Requirements

• A maximum of 3 actors per script. There are no restrictions, however, on the number of characters. Please note, that while some directors have chosen to use child actors in past pieces, the intent of this festival is to perform for children, not with children.

• Plays must have no technical demands, as this will be outside and there is no lighting or backstage area and minimal sound cues will be available.

• Must fit our mission.

• Geared toward children 10 and under. Please, NO scripts about high school students.

• All props, set pieces and costumes must be easily made at home by actors (and children watching who want to stage their own productions at home).

• Pieces can be previously produced, but cannot have a production running concurrently with Make/Believe. 

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 December 31, 2021.

Seeking directors for Make/Believe short play festival for young audiences

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking directors for its second annual Make/Believe festival for young audiences set to broadcast virtually in early June.

The festival will feature six short plays written by playwrights from around the country. A summary of the scripts is available here.

In particular we are seeking Filipino-American, Black and Latinx directors, but encourage all BIPOC, LBGTQIA+ and non-binary directors to apply.

The pieces will be pre-recorded and presented virtually. Directors will receive a $25 stipend.

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 March 25.

Call for directors: Accepting submissions for virtual reading series

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking submissions from directors for our spring virtual play reading series, For Your (Re)Consideration. Especially seeking directors who are female-identifying or non-binary, BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. This is open to directors in any geographic area, though directors in the greater Chicago area will receive priority.

(Re)Consideration will explore the works of historically overlooked female playwrights. Featuring a variety of distinct voices and styles from different historical periods, the virtual readings will be scheduled throughout the season and seek to bring attention to these remarkable women who have been sidelined by history for reasons that had nothing to do with their talent and everything to do with their gender and, in many cases, their race.

We are planning for virtual performances in March and April. Pieces will be pre-recorded and streamed on specified dates with plans for a brief, live post-show talkback on the first date each piece is streamed. Each piece will then be made available to audiences to stream for a limited time. Expectations are that each reading will be rehearsed and recorded entirely virtually. Ghostlight can assist with recording platforms, editing and casting as needed.

Please submit a brief cover letter, resume and photo to Holly Robison, Producing Director, at casting@ghostlightensemble.com. Electronic submissions only. Please use the following format in the email’s subject line: Reading Series Director Submission: [Your Name].

Ghostlight will reach out to selected directors for a short discussion on details and possible play assignments prior to finalizing participation. We have a library of identified plays that will be made available prior to the discussion but will also be open to discussion of suggested plays from directors.

Directors will be paid $50 per piece.

The deadline for submissions is February 12, 2021.

Call for scripts: Seeking short children's plays for 2nd annual Make/Believe festival

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking short scripts (a maximum of 15 minutes) that are geared toward young audiences. Priority will be placed on scripts that are ethnically and culturally diverse, and written by writers of color and/or LGBTQ writers. This is open to playwrights in any geographic area, though writers in the greater Chicago area will receive priority. NO FEE.

Playwrights will receive $25 per selected script.

Selected plays will be produced in June 2021 as part of the second annual Make/Believe festival of theatre for children under our Nightlight banner. (Learn more about the 2020 festival here.) We are planning for a virtual performance, which means the pieces will be filmed and made available to audiences in any geographic area, but only for a limited time; and tentatively for live performances. A note on virtual performances: After the performance dates, the pieces will not be shown in full again without the playwright’s permission, although Ghostlight reserves the right to use excerpts of the performances in future promotional and marketing videos.

Please pay close attention to the script requirements. Scripts that do not meet the following criteria will not be considered. 

Requirements

• A maximum of 3 actors per script. There are no restrictions, however, on the number of characters. Please note, that while some directors have chosen to use child actors in past pieces, the intent of this festival is to perform for children, not with children.

• Plays must be adaptable to virtual and live performances.

• Must fit our mission.

• Geared toward children 10 and under. Please, NO scripts about high school students.

• All props, set pieces and costumes must be easily made at home by actors (and children watching who want to stage their own productions at home).

• Pieces can be previously produced, but cannot have a production running concurrently with Make/Believe. 

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 December 31, 2020.

Ghostlight seeking directors for short play festival

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.

Holiday Cabernet: A Call for Performers

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).

Seeking script submission for a children's play festival

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.