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).

Ghostlight Ensemble Goes Online For Season Four

Ghostlight Ensemble announced its Season 4 lineup, which brings back two popular offerings and introduces a new reading series of historically overlooked female playwrights. This season the company will present its offerings online, with the hopes of moving back to the stage in the summer of 2021.

“We're all diving into unknown territory with our medium moving into a digital world, but ultimately that unknown is what Ghostlight has been about since the beginning,” said Co-Artistic Director Miona Lee.

“The landscape of theatre is rapidly changing,” added Co-Artistic Director Kayla White. “I'm really looking forward to leading Ghostlight to be a force of positive change in the Chicago theatre scene, to dismantle old traditions and build an inclusive, anti-racist and SAFE place to create theatre together.”

Holiday Cabernet host Coco Sho-Nell

Ghostlight will begin its fourth season in December with a perennial winter favorite, 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 virtual setting with a host filled with holiday spirits! Taking the emcee mic this year is the glamorous Coco Sho-Nell, a Chicago-based drag performer with roots in musical theatre.

Acts range from comedians and clowns to musicians, dancers and more. Artists include: Comedy Dance Collective, Daija Nealy, Danielle Levsky, Improvised Jane Austen, Nate Perez & Anneliese Ayers, Nitty Gritty, Plucky Rosenthal and Tyler Ross.

In addition, last year’s vendor area proved so popular, that we’re bringing it back in virtual form this year. Peruse the online offerings before, during and after the show and support independent artists while scoring unique gifts that everyone will be buzzed about.

The live, but virtual, Holiday Cabernet takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 12. Additional details, including artist bios, vendor wares and how to reserve tickets are available here.

In the new year, Ghostlight will launch its new reading series, For Your (Re)Consideration, which 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.

Epic Tales from the Land of Melanin from 2020’s Make/Believe festival

Rounding out the season in June, the company will once again present Make/Believe, a curated festival of short plays by playwrights from around the country geared towards children 10 and under. Last year’s performances played to sold out houses. This year, Ghostlight plans to offer both a virtual version and a live, outdoor version, as health guidelines permit.

Plays are currently being solicited and script selection will be made in early January. Playwrights interested in submitting to the festival can find more details on the Ghostlight website.

“I honestly don't know how we'll see Ghostlight evolve over the next year,” Lee said. “I can tell you that we will never stop pushing to ask the tough questions and bring our audiences thought-provoking work.”

Find out more about Ghostlight Ensemble and the entire 2020-2021 Season here.