Alabama Story opens this weekend!

Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones – a drama about censorship, book banning and Civil Rights – opens during Banned Books Week on Let Freedom Read Day, Saturday, September 28.

Let Freedom Read Day is a day of action with a call for everyone who stands against book banning to take at least one action to help defend books from censorship. Ghostlight is proud to stand up for the library staff, educators, writers, publishers and booksellers who make books available to all. Learn more about Banned Books week (September 22-28) and Let Freedom Read Day at https://bannedbooksweek.org/let-freedom-read-day.

Alabama Story is a fictional play based on very real events that took place in 1950s Alabama when a children’s book called The Rabbits’ Wedding by illustrator Garth Williams (known for his work on Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and Little House on the Prairie) was released. The book tells of two little rabbits – one white, one black – who decide to get married. Though not intended to be political, the book caused a firestorm in the Segregationist South with calls to ban and even burn the book.

 The play, set in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama, is the story of a segregationist senator (the fictional-characterization-based-on-a-real-person, Sen. E.W. Higgins) and the state librarian (based on a very real Emily Wheelock Reed) who clash over the content of a children’s book about bunny rabbits. The play contrasts that story with a reunion of childhood friends — a Black man and a woman of white privilege — providing a private counterpoint to the public events swirling in the state capital.

 Alabama Story is set within the framework of 1950s racial tensions that parallels the issues facing America today as book bans and book challenges overwhelm libraries and schools across the nation.

The immersive show also marks the company’s return to mainstage productions since the global COVID-19 Pandemic brought arts organizations and productions around the world to a halt in 2020.

“We have an amazing project and the cast is truly fantastic,” Director Holly Robison said. “I cannot wait for audiences to see the excellent performances that are sure to elevate an already meaty, timely script,”

 The cast includes two Ensemble Members, Co-Artistic Director Justin Broom as Thomas Franklin and Maria Burnham as Emily Wheelock Reed. Rounding out the cast is Scott Olson as Garth Williams, Tom Goodwin as Sen. E.W. Higgins, Khnemu Menu-Ra as Joshua Moore and Haley Basil as Lily Whitfield. Understudies include Adrian Campbell, Mary Jordan, Allison McCorkle and Derek Preston Ray. Ensemble Member and Co-Artistic Director Holly Robison directs. (Bios available at www.ghostlightensemble.com/alabama-story-bios.)

The production takes place at two site-specific, book-centric locations: After-Words Bookstore (23 E. Illinois St., Chicago) and Haymarket Books at Haymarket House (800 W Buena Ave, Chicago). There is a preview performance on Friday, September 27 at After-Words Bookstore, followed by performances on Sept. 28-29 and Oct. 4-6, 2024. Performances at Haymarket Books are Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with an average donation of $25, and are available at https://ghostlightensembletheatreco.thundertix.com/. More information about the show can be found at https://www.ghostlightensemble.com/alabama-story.

Ghostlight Ensemble acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Alabama Story is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.

‘It’s About Time’: Ghostlight marks return to full productions post-pandemic with its 8th Season beginning in September

Justin Brook and Holly Robison tapped to lead Ghostlight Ensemble ahead of the company's eighth season.

Ghostlight Ensemble announces its Season 8 lineup, marking the company’s return to a full production season with two mainstage shows, as well as a Nightlight play for young audiences, staged readings and ongoing collaborations with Chicago area museums. 

The company also announces a change in leadership with Ensemble Member and Chicago actor Justin Broom promoted to co-artistic director, along with Ensemble Member Holly Robison. Broom has been with Ghostlight since 2019 and Robison, who was acting as an interim co-artistic director, is a founding member of the company and previously served as artistic director from 2016 to 2019.

“It is a very full-circle moment for me, in a way, to join a company right before we had to move inside (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to then come out the other end as a leader to help bring Ghostlight back to in-person stages and locations,” Broom said.

 “Ghostlight’s mission has always been to ask questions that challenge the status quo through timeless stories via immersive environments and unconventional staging, which very much aligns with my values to making theater,” he continued. “As Co-Artistic Director, I'm excited to offer my perspective and experiences as a Queer theater artist to fulfill our mission in new ways, expand our ensemble and bring Ghostlight back into the Chicago scene.”

 Broom first appeared with Ghostlight in 2019 in a reading of The Thirteenth Chair and has been active in the company and the Chicago theatre scene ever since. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television and Digital Media from Southern Illinois University.

 “I care so much about this company, having been with it from the beginning, and am so happy to continue in this leadership role as Ghostlight emerges from our scaled-back programming during COVID with one of our busiest and exciting seasons yet,” Robison said. “I’m also particularly looking forward to leading with Justin, who has come to be one of the most active and insightful voices within the company.”

 Robison is a Chicago-based director, actor and improvisor who has directed An Ideal Husband and Picasso at the Lapin Agile for Ghostlight Ensemble, as well as conceiving the For Your (Re)Consideration series. She has studied directing with various organizations, including the summer program, A Practical Approach to Directing at Yale School of Drama and is a member of Lincoln Center Directors Lab. She is also a cast member and producer with Improvised Jane Austen.

 Full bios for both artistic directors are available on our website’s The Ensemble page. 

The new management team led the selection process for the upcoming season, which celebrates a symphony of creativity that resonates across cultures and time, reminding us that art is a universal language that binds us all.

 “We have some amazing projects and collaborations this season, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience them,” Robison said.

 Ghostlight will begin its Eighth Season with Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones, a drama about censorship, book banning and Civil Rights set within the framework of 1950s racial tensions. Robison will direct.

 Inspired by true events, Alabama Story is a drama about a segregationist senator and the state librarian who clash over the content of a children’s book about bunny rabbits against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama. Political foes, childhood friends and one feisty children’s author inhabit a Deep South of the imagination that brims with humor, heartbreak and hope.

 Alabama Story will take place Sept. 27-29 and Oct. 4-6, 2024, at After-Words Bookstore (23 E. Illinois St., Chicago) and Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20, 2024, at Haymarket Books at Haymarket House (800 W Buena Ave, Chicago).

 In December, the company expands on its partnership with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum to present Holiday Spirits: A Collection of Victorian Yuletide Ghost Stories, a multi-story and multi-storied immersive, site-specific adaptation of classic Victorian ghost stories at the museum.

In February, the Nightlight series returns with a full-length production for young audiences, Invaders of Mathmatica, written by Ensemble Member Nick Conrad. The original play is a celebration of the arts that argues true riches come from collaboration, not isolation.

And Ghostlight will close out the season in spring 2025 with the world premiere of Drink the Past Dry written by Ensemble Member Maria Burnham. The site-specific piece is set and will take place at a nondescript neighborhood bar in the middle of Chicago that looks like every other bar in every other neighborhood. But this bar has a secret. It can take you anywhere in time. All you have to do is take a drink.

In addition, the For Your (Re)Consideration staged reading series will return in 2025, with its ongoing mission to explore the works of historically overlooked female writers. And Ghostlight will continue its popular Live Movie Reading Series throughout the year. Plus, the company has several other surprises brewing.

To celebrate its return to full productions (and a full season) after the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghostlight is hosting a Season Kickoff event at My Buddy’s (4416 N Clark St, Chicago) on Saturday, August 10. Join us for an insider look at all our shows, exciting news of new partnerships and performance opportunities and a chance to chat with the new artistic team and Ensemble members, as well as karaoke, raffle/auction items, free drinks and more. 

Look for details about the Season Kickoff event, the entire 2024-2025 season and Ghostlight Ensemble at GhostlightEnsemble.com.

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

Stage Manager Needed for 'Alabama Story'

Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Stage 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.

Stage Manager will attend all rehearsals and performances. There is an opportunity to combine this role with Production 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.

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.

Please note that performances will be held at two site specific locations: After-Words Bookstore Event Space, 23 E. Illinois, Chicago, IL 60611 (6 performances) September 27-29 and October 4-6 (6 performances) and Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena, Chicago, IL 60613 October 11-13 and October 18-20 (6 performances).

Instructions to Apply:

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

Pay Rate/Range*: $300 stipend

Organization Contact Name: Holly Robison

Organization Email Contact: holly@ghostlightensemble.com

Audition Notice: Seeking actors for 'Alabama Story'

Ghostlight Ensemble is casting 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.

Character Type:
Ghostlight will be casting for the following roles and understudies. Please note that some understudies may cover more than one role. Casting for the following:

• Emily Wheelock Reed: 50ish, white female, State Librarian of Alabama, born in North Carolina, raised in Indiana

• Thomas Franklin: 28, white male reference librarian, Emily’s assistant, from Montgomery, Alabama

• Senator E.W. Higgins: 50ish+, white Alabama state senator

• Joshua Moore: 32, upwardly mobile middle class African American man who left Alabama years ago*

• Lilly Whitfield: 32, a white woman from small-town Alabama privilege*

• Garth Williams/Others: 50ish+. A white writer and illustrator from the East Coast. This role will act as narrator, as well as embodying multiple other roles including aged state representative Bobby Crone, segregationist columnist Henry Branch, radio announcer, and passersby.

*Please note that that characters Joshua and Lilly have one brief scripted kiss. An intimacy choreographer will be available to stage this scene.

Time Commitment:
Rehearsals will be 3-4 times/week on weeknight evenings and/or weekend days in September 2024. A table read and/or table work may be scheduled for a few dates in August. Final dates will be confirmed after review of cast conflicts.

Cast members and understudies MUST be available the following dates:

• 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.

Please note that performances will be held at two site specific locations: After-Words Bookstore Event Space, 23 E. Illinois, Chicago, IL 60611, September 27-29 and October 4-6 (6 performances); and Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena, Chicago, IL 60613 October 11-13 and October 18-20 (6 performances).

Materials To Prepare:
Please submit your headshot and resume to Jean Mueller-Burr, Casting Director, at casting@ghostlightensemble.com. Please clearly indicate if you have any conflicts during indicated audition times on July 13 or callbacks on July 20. Sides will be provided.

Pay:
Main cast: $300 stipend for production. Understudies: $150 stipend + $25/show performed.

Audition Time & Location:
General: July 13: 1–4:30 p.m. at Merlo Branch, Chicago Public Library, 644 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657. 

Callbacks: July 20: 1–4 p.m. Location will be provided as needed.

Contact:
Jean Mueller-Burr
Email: casting@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