Auditions Announced for Live Movie Reading Series

Ghostlight Ensemble announces auditions for the second quarter of its Live Movie Reading Series. Please state which movie reading you wish to audition for in your submission. Actors may be considered for multiple readings.

The Live Movie Reading Series is a low-key and fun, staged reading of some of our favorite movies. These readings are fundraisers for local nonprofits. Past recipients have included Common Pantry, Girl Forward and New Leash on Life, among others.

There is no pay for any of these readings.

Character Descriptions
Seeking a strong ethnically diverse cast of all genders, ages, shapes and sizes that is representative of the city in which we live.

We're looking for actors who love these movies, love having fun and who can also read. Those are literally the only requirements. Please note that we prefer a greater diversity in our casts for these movies than the original directors did and that the genders of our actors do not always match those of the actors in the films.

Time Commitment
In general, the live movie reading series involves an initial gathering to watch the movie that is being performed and two rehearsals. There is no tech. All performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays at Carbon Arc Bar and Board (located at the Davis movie theater in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago).

Performance dates and movies are as follows:

• April 27, 2020: Drop Dead Gorgeous

• May 18, 2020: Legally Blonde

• June 29, 2020: The Big Lebowski (Please note, the role of Walter has been cast.)

Materials To Prepare
Actors are asked to prepare a comedic monologue from their favorite movie, no longer than 1 minute. These monologues do not need to be memorized (as the performances are read and not memorized), but must be acted and staged to the best of your ability.

The audition date is March 21 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mayfair branch of the Chicago Public Library.

Please submit your headshot and resume to Jean at casting@ghostlightensemble.com, and she will be in touch. Please indicate any time restrictions you have for the audition period in your email.

The power of imagination takes center stage in Ghostlight’s festival of new works for young audiences

Cereal royalty, a monster that eats words, the source of all black girl magic, a unique bird that tastes bad. Welcome to Make/Believe, a theatre festival that challenges its young – and young at heart – audiences to throw out the way things have always been done and indulge their imagination.

The production features a mix of short plays by local and out-of-state playwrights that were written for audiences 12 and under, but which are also meant to be enjoyed by all ages.

“Make/Believe is an expansion of our Nightlight young audiences series, which has always sought to tell compelling stories for children that do not talk down to them, but help make sense of the world around them while also letting them know that it is still OK to play,” said Maria Burnham, Ghostlight’s co-artistic director.  

The eight stories that make up this year’s Make/Believe festival are filled with young women who turn convention on its head. From the young heroines in Epic Tales from the Land of Melanin who reclaim their own stories – and the power that comes along with them – to that classic victim of folklore, Little Red Riding Hood, who decides a feminist fairy tale is more her style, the heroines of these plays face the types of figurative monsters modern children will recognize from their own lives.

Selected scripts include:

• Asherella, by Chicago playwright Lori Taylor, is a take on Cinderella where the heroines are African-American females and the person rescued is a young white male. Asher lives at home with his cruel stepmother and cruel stepbrothers. With the help of The One, an African-American magical being who is the source of all black girl magic, Asher is able to escape his cruel family and live in the castle with the ruler of the queendom. Asherella is directed by Laila Rodriques.

• In Ava’s First Escape Room, by Chicago playwright Kim Z. Dale, Ava, Jack and Gus are locked together in an escape room as an optional add on to a school field trip. The strange thing about this escape room is there is nothing in it: No puzzles or clues to solve. To make matters worse, Ava and the boys are not friends. As the boys loudly and ineffectually try to bust out of the room, Ava gets tired of dealing with them, and takes matters into her own hands. Ava’s First Escape Room is directed by Jill Olson Stuck.

• Based on histories of real-life women of color and non-Eurocentric fairytales, Epic Tales from the Land of Melanin tells a hilarious, imaginative adventure tale of three girl warrior-explorers taking on the world. Along the journey, our fierce young heroes must attempt to reclaim the power that was stolen from them and their people. Epic Tales From the Land of Melanin was originally devised by Chicago artists Guadalís Del Carmen, Mariana Green, Brandi Lee, Maya Mackrandilal, Enid Muñoz, Alyssa Vera Ramos, Deanalís Resto, Ana Velazquez and Teresa Zoríc with FEMelanin; and is directed by Deanalís Resto.

• Little Red Reboot, by New York playwright Sonya Sobieski, is a modern mash-up of the Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks tales, in which two rebellious females we think we already know break the rules of storytelling and theatre to get to a happy ending. Little Red Reboot is directed by Kristin Schoenback.

• The Queen of Cocoa Puffs and the Cap’n Crunch King, by Brooklyn playwright Corey Pajka, is the story of what happens when a pair of sovereign siblings sit down for breakfast with two hearty appetites and one cereal box between them. A battle cry is heard across the kingdom of New Brunswick. There will be blood—and perhaps orange juice. The Queen of Cocoa Puffs and the Cap’n Crunch King is directed by John Gleason Teske.

• Scaredy Friends is the story of a small girl and a monster that eats her words when she screams. But it turns out the monster isn’t evil — like the little girl, it is scared. This discovery, told through words and physical theatre, changes the course of their relationship forever. Scaredy Friends is written and directed by Chicago performing artist Carolyn Minor.

• Snow White, Who Is Also Called Becky, No Rebecca...and the Frog Prince, by Oak Park-based playwrights Jack Helbig and Margaret Helbig, is the story of a father and a daughter who collaborate on the writing of an original fairy tale. Unfortunately, they have different ideas of what makes a good fairy tale. Fortunately, they keep writing. Snow White, Who Is Also Called Becky, No Rebecca...and the Frog Prince is directed by Lizzy May.

• Stinky Bird, by Los Angeles playwright Seth Freeman, is the story of a young bird who is forced to come to terms with her unique and challenging background. Stinky Bird is directed by Jackie Bowes.

All eight plays will be produced on both days of the festival. The festival is curated by Ghostlight Ensemble Co-Artistic Director Maria Burnham.

Ghostlight put out a call for scripts for young audiences that featured strong female characters and collected submissions from around the world during the fall of 2019. Over 350 short plays were submitted. Final selections were made in late November.

The festival was crafted to appeal to all ages and its weekend run is perfect for families looking for live, daytime entertainment during a time of year when family-friendly activities are not as plentiful. Make/Believe takes place Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23, 2020, at 2 p.m. at Laugh Out Loud Theater Chicago in the North Center neighborhood (3851 N. Lincoln Ave.). Tickets are on sale now via Brown Paper Tickets: $15 adults, $5 children 12 and under, or $25 family of four.

Nightlight is Ghostlight’s young audience series with original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them. Ghostlight believes theatre can be a beacon for children, letting them know they aren’t alone in the world, giving them a sense of security and revealing the truth that in stories they can be anything they want to be. You’re never too young – or too old – for a nightlight.

Auditions Announced for Live Movie Reading Series and Make/Believe short play festival

Ghostlight Ensemble announces joint auditions for the first quarter of its Live Movie Reading Series and for its young audiences play festival, Make/Believe. Actors may audition for one of both of the programs. Please state which program you wish to audition for in your submission. Actors may be considered for multiple short plays and multiple movies.

The Live Movie Reading Series is a low-key and fun, staged reading of some of our favorite movies. These readings are fundraisers for local nonprofits. Past recipients have included Common Pantry, Girl Forward and New Leash on Life, among others.

Make/Believe is part of our Nightlight young audiences series and is a curated festival of short plays by playwrights from around the country. The plays, geared towards children 12 and under, all have one unifying feature – strong female characters.

There is no pay for any of these shows.

Character Descriptions
Seeking a strong ethnically diverse cast of all genders, ages, shapes and sizes that is representative of the city in which we live.

For the Live Movie Reading series, we're looking for actors who love these movies and who can also read. Those are literally the only requirements. Please note that we prefer a greater diversity in our casts for these movies than the original directors did and that the genders of our actors do not always match those of the actors in the films.

For Make/Believe, actors with previous experience working with children will receive preference in scheduling. All actors must have a love of good stories, a sense of fun and an imagination to rival any 5-year-old. Most of the pieces in this festival involve some level of interaction with the audience, so actors must be comfortable interacting with children and their guardians.

Time Commitment
Live Movie Reading Series:
In general, the live movie reading series involves an initial gathering to watch the movie that is being performed and two rehearsals. There is no tech. All performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays at Carbon Arc Bar and Board (located at the Davis movie theater in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago).

Performance dates and movies are as follows:

• January 27, 2020: 10 Things I Hate About You

• February 17, 2020: Charlie's Angels (2000 version)

• March 23, 2020: Back To The Future

Make/Believe Festival:
Directors will set rehearsal dates and times around actor availability. These are 15-minute (or less) pieces and should require a minimal number of rehearsals.

Tech is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 15, 2020. Specific time slots will be scheduled for each piece and actors are not expected to be there all day.

Performance times are:

• Saturday, February 22, 2020

• Sunday, February 23, 2020

All pieces will be performed both days. Performances start at 2 p.m. and will be held at Laugh Out Loud Theater in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago.

Materials To Prepare
Actors auditioning for the Live Movie Reading series are asked to prepare a monologue from their favorite movie, no longer than 1 minute. These monologues do not need to be memorized (as the performances are read and not memorized), but must be acted and staged to the best of your ability.

Actors auditioning for Make/Believe will be given sides to read. Please note that you will be in consideration for all the scripts in the festival, even if you are only reading sides for one particular piece.

The audition date is January 11, 2020, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.

Please submit your headshot and resume to Jean at casting@ghostlightensemble.com, and she will be in touch with sides and an audition appointment. Please indicate any time restrictions you have for the audition period in your email.

Alternate poster design for The Princess Without Pots (Day 2)

We've been asking our young audience members at The Princess Without Pots to come with some alternate poster art for the show, which will be featured here and on social media.

Today's design is by Sydney Morkunas , age 5, of Chicago.

The Princess Without Pots is an empowering fairy tale about the importance of never underestimating your opponent or the power of a delicious baked good. In it, Princess Cristina’s parents have decided it’s time for their daughter to marry, so all the princes from all the lands come hoping to marry her. But, to win this princess’s heart, a prince first needs to win a battle against the fiercest warrior the age had ever seen – Princess Cristina. Learn more on the show page.

If your budding artist has a design for us, remember you can always scan it in and email it to us at maria(at)ghostlightensemble.com.

Check us out in Chicago Parents magazine

The latest edition of Chicago Parents magazine features an article on our young audiences series, Nightlight, and this series' inaugural production, The Princes Without Pots, which opens Saturday.

Pick up the magazine today and then get your tickets for this world-premiere production!

Ghostlight celebrates Girl Power and the power of Spanish pastries in its latest production

Ghostlight Ensemble will launch its young audience series, Nightlight, in June with the world-premiere production of The Princess Without Pots, a new tale of a warrior princess and her parents’ frustrating quest to compel her into a storybook romance.

“This is a play that celebrates just that, the wonderful capacity that children have for make-believe and play that we lose as we get older,” said Maria Burnham, the playwright and director. “With The Princess Without Pots, and with Nightlight in general, we hope to encourage future generations to keep a little bit of that with them as they grow.”

The Princess Without Pots is an empowering fairy tale about the importance of never underestimating your opponent or the power of a delicious baked good. In it, Princess Cristina’s parents have decided it’s time for their daughter to marry, so all the princes from all the lands come hoping to marry her. But, to win this princess’s heart, a prince first needs to win a battle against the fiercest warrior the age had ever seen – Princess Cristina.

“We hope we’ve built a world that encourages children of all genders to choose the path best suited to them without any of the limitations society wants to place on them,” Burnham said. “We wanted to create a world in which fighting like a girl is something everyone aspires to do.

“But we also wanted to create a production that is just a lot of fun to watch – one that inspires kids to go home and play Princess Without Pots.”

The Princess Without Pots stars: Brian Barber (Prince Brax), Norman J. Burt (The King), Jessica Casillas (Carl the Hapless Knight, Prince Harry of Strathbane, Camila the Squire, Montage Princes) Pearl Paramadilok (Princess “Sweet Pea” Cristina), Isa Ramos (Prince Miguel), Sydney Ray (The Queen), Josh Razavi (King Brawn, Prince Vlek of Ice Moutain, Phil the Long-Suffering Squire, Montage Princes), Kayla White (Advisors 1-3) and Emilio Williams as the voice of the narrator. Understudies include Sean Hendrickson (Prince Brax), Jessica Casillas (Princess “Sweet Pea” Cristina) and Jean E. Burr (Ensemble roles).

The production team is: Maria Burnham (Playwright, Director), Jean E. Burr (Assistant Director), Carrie Campana (Costume Designer), Jessie Cole (Stage Manager), Dave Gonzales (Fight Designer), Carolyn Minor (Production Manager, Set Painter) and Chad Wise (Props Designer). The poster design for The Princess Without Pots is by Addison Wise, age 8, of Aurora, IL.

 Tickets are now available for The Princess Without Pots, which runs on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. from June 9 to July 1 at Laugh Out Loud Theater in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago (3851 N. Lincoln Ave.) Tickets are: $10 adults, $5 children 12 and under or $25 family of four.

The cast will also be performing an abridged version of the show at the North Center Ribfest at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9 in the Kids Square. A complete scheduled of Kids Square activities and entertainment can be found on the Ribfest website at ribfest-chicago.com.

Introducing the cast of The Princess Without Pots

Pearl Paramadilok as Princess Sweet Pea (left) and Brian Barber as Brax (right) in rehearsals for The Princess Without Pots.

In June, we're bringing young audiences a new tale of a fighting princess and her parents' frustrating quest for a storybook romance in The Princess Without Pots.

Saturdays and Sundays in June this world-premiere production will take place at Laugh Out Loud Theater in the North Center of Chicago (3851 N. Lincoln Ave.)

The play is written and directed by Ensemble Member Maria Burnham and stars Pearl Paramadilok as Princess Sweet Pea and Brian Barber and Isa Ramos as her would-be suitors Brax and Miguel with Norman J. Burt, Jessica Casillas, Sydney Ray, Josh Razavi, Kayla White and understudy Sean Hendrickson.

The production team includes: Jean E. Burr (Assistant Director), Carrie Campana (Costume Designer), Dave Gonzales (Fight Designer), Carolyn Minor (Production Manager) and Chad Wise (Props Designer).

Tickets are $10 adults, $5 children 12 and under or $25 family of four and are on sale now.