by Suzan-Lori Parks
directed by Cindy Savage*

Saturday, March 31st, Noon
At the Peace Museum
Garfield Park Conservatory, 2nd Floor
100 N. Central Park Ave.
FREE Admission
Reserve online or call (312) 777-1245

Suzan-Lori Parks

Named one of Time magazine’s “100 Innovators for the Next New Wave,” Suzan-Lori Parks is one of the most exciting and acclaimed playwrights in American drama today. She is the first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for the Broadway hit Topdog/Underdog and is a MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient, among her many other honors.

Her numerous plays include Topdog/Underdog (2002 Pulitzer Prize), In the Blood (2000 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Venus (1996 OBIE Award), The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World, Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom (1990 OBIE Award for Best New American Play), and The America Play. Her first feature-length screenplay was Girl 6 written for Spike Lee. She’s also written screenplays for Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington and adapted Zora Neale Hurston’s classic novel Their Eyes Were Watching God which starred Halle Barry and premiered on ABC’s Oprah Winfrey Presents. Suzan-Lori’s well-reviewed first novel Getting Mother's Body (Random House, 2003) is set in the west Texas of her youth and follows the scrappy Beede family as they embark on a riotous road trip in hopes of recovering a fortune of jewels – rumored to be buried with a long-dead relative.

Cindy Savage (Director) is excited to be in the director's chair again. She made her directing debut with One Hand Clapping for Stockyards Theatre Project's Busting Out: An Evening of Voluptuous Comedy. In addition to running Soul Theatre with Ravi and Dan, Cindy has had the pleasure of working with Remy Bumppo, the Goodman, Redmoon, Greasy Joan & Co., About Face, TUTA, Prickly Pear Productions, Theatre at the Center, the Bailiwick, Theatre Building, L'Opera Piccola, HyperWorld Theatre, and CPA Theatricals. She has been a stage manager, stagehand, wardrobe crew member, costume designer, production manager, sound designer, lighting designer, technical director, box office manager, carpenter, electrician, scenic painter, and general doer of whatever needs doing. She is a company member of TUTA, where she is the operations and special events manager. Cindy holds a BA in Theatre from Loyola University.

Kasey Foster (Choreographer/Ensemble) moved to Chicago nearly three years ago, after receiving her BA in theatre and dance. Since her arrival, she has happily worked with Redmoon Theater, the Anatomy Collective, Red Tape Theater Co., Dance Chicago, and Irreverence. Last summer, Kasey teamed up with the Anatomy Collective and made her choreographical/directorial Chicago debut with their production of ...and a lack thereof. Kasey looks forward to creating more in the very near future. She is currentlyperforming in  Redmoon's Once Upon a Time. Thanks to Cindy Savage for being who she is, and thanks to you for being here.

P.J. Schoeny (Sound Design/Ensemble) Sound design credits around Chicago include work for The Library Theatre and A Reasonable Facsimile Theatre Company. Acting credits include shows with TUTA, Reasonable Facsimile, Circle Theatre, The Library Theatre, European Rep, Side Project, and many others. P.J. is a proud company member of TUTA and Reasonable Facsimile. This is his first show with Soul Theatre. Thanks to Cindy, Ravi, and everyone for bringing him in on the project!

Caren Evers*(Ensemble) Caren's credits include plays, films and improv comedy around the country. She recently directed a short film Complementary Nuts. Caren is the Treasurer and Volunteer Director for Chicago ScriptWorks, a not for profit group that produces staged readings of screenplays. Caren graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in Theatre Arts. Caren is a company member of Soul Theatre, and recently appeared as Jeannette in The Last of the Red Hot Lovers.

Lila Frazier (Ensemble) Lila is honored to be an ensemble member of 365Days/365Plays.  With a BA in Theatre from San Francisco State University she moved to Chicago to pursue her acting career. This is her debut performance onto the Chicago scene. Thanks to the inspiration of Susan Lori-Parks, Lila is currently collaborating with her Mom and Sister Sarah to write a compilation of plays, poetry and short stories every week over the next year. Stay tuned for Writer’s Cramp in 2008! Much love to friends and family for all of their undying support and warm praises. Thank you Sarah for the marathon phone calls and making me laugh! A special thank you goes out to my Mom who will always be my hero. Much love to Mom and Sarah!

Amber Rae Schafer (Ensemble) is a BFA graduate of North Dakota State University where she could be seen in such roles as Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, Li'l Bit in How I Learned to Drive, and Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. After college, she co-founded a small non-profit theatre company where she appeared as Lanie in Two Rooms, Callie in Stop Kiss, and Roseanna in Brilliant Traces, among others. Additional credits include Hermione in A Winter's Tale, First Witch in Macbeth, and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet. A recent import to Chicago, she presented a scene in the Women’s Theatre Alliance Actor’s Showcase this fall.  Amber Rae is thrilled to be working with these talented artists in this exciting production, and sincerely hopes that you enjoy this unique experience!

Anna Ashley (Stage Manager) Anna Ashley is pleased to be stage managing this week of Suzan Lori-Parks' awesome festival. Anna is currently a second year student majoring in stage management at the Theatre School at DePaul University. Thus far, she has worked on four productions at the school, and has taken advantage of the professional theatre world and stage managed for Hypatia Theatre Company and Redmoon Theater. She is currently the house manager for Redmoon Theater's Once Upon a Time, which she encourages all of you to come see.

Daniel Pellant (Scenic/Prop Design) likes his props lists, yes he does.

Julia Zayas-Meléndez (Costume Designer) Primarily a stage manager by trade, Julia has rarely had the opportunity to showcase her artistic side. Having focused on design in her college years, she dabbled in scenic, costume, and technical design, and graduated with a degree in stage management before anyone got a chance to see her work. Since moving to Chicago, Julia has added a few design credits - assistant scenic designer for Pinafore! at the Bailiwick, scenic designer for Brothers Grimm at the Free Associates, and scenic painter for Bingo at the Apollo. This is Julia's first costume design, and she's proud that it's part of this exciting, nationwide event.