December, 2022
Thanks to everyone for joining us at the Epiphany Center for the Arts for one last celebration of Shakespeare and our amazing alumni community!
2021/'22 Season
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Bard Bash 2022THANK YOU to everyone who joined us in-person and via livestream on April 24th to celebrate the Bard's birthday with CYS! The one-night-only event featured the 2021-22 CYS Ensemble in a live performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged, Revised [and Revised Again!] at Uncommon Ground, Edgewater, and all proceeds went to support CYS programs.
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Huge thanks to Writers Theatre for welcoming our professional youth ensemble back to perform in their beautiful space, just in time for Chicago Theatre Week, 2022!
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CYS Macbeth: a Play & a Film!For those who missed seeing one of our sold-out performances of Macbeth at Writers Theatre, do not despair! CYS was fortunate to offer our young artists the opportunity to create a cinematic version of Macbeth, while simultaneously preparing our production for live performances on the stage.
Our recently released (minor) motion picture offers virtual audiences a distinctly different experience from the staged production. The film was shot by Kyle Hamman of KBH Media, assisted by CYS Ensemble members, Sydney Gralike and Isabel Dudas - both first-year film students at DePaul University. Watch the film on our YouTube channel! And - just for teachers, in addition to our virtual production of Macbeth, we've created a comprehensive packet of hands-on learning resources to use in the classroom. Check it out here! |
The Chicago Youth Shakespeare Ensemble's 2021-22 Season was made possible in part by grants from the following funders:
2020/'21 Season
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2019/'20 Season
CYS kicked off the performance season with a staged reading of King Lear, featuring CYS youth artists and alumni alongside some of Chicago's most esteemed professional Shakespeare actors. Directed by Louis Fantasia. the one-night-only event played to a sold-out audience at The Edge Theatre on Chicago's north side. Click on the image to view the production program.
In rehearsal with David Lively as King Lear.
Edgar, (played by Luke Steadman) leads Gloucester, (played by Demetrios Troy) to the cliffs of Dover
The CYS Ensemble's production of Richard III featured a company of 14 youth actors and four contributing youth artists. The show held a successful three-week run at Raven Theatre. Subsequent touring performances, along with a staged reading scheduled later in the spring were cancelled due to Covid-19. Click on the image to view the production program.
Enama Samuels (Lady Anne) in performance at Raven Theatre.
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2018/'19 Season
Set on a modern day college campus, CYS's Othello examined issues of systemic racism, sexism, and abuse, through a contemporary lens that spoke directly to young adults. The production featured the collaborative work of nine youth actors and six contributing youth artists, Ticketed performances and community outreach events were held at Raven Theatre, The School of Theatre & Music at UIC, and Writers Theatre of Glencoe. Following each of the performances, audiences engaged with the Ensemble in some amazing conversations about race, gender inequality, and the impact of theatre and the arts on issues of social justice.
Our 2019 Summer Shakes program culminated in a production of Twelfth Night, with performances and community outreach events at Raven Theatre, The School of Theatre & Music at UIC, and Adventure Stage Chicago. Click on the image to view the production program.
Siah Berlatsky (Malvolio) in performance at Raven Theatre
Daniel Newgarden (Orsino) and Esther Segal-Weinberger (Olivia) in rehearsal at The Literacenter.
Hamming it up at the post-show workshop with the Trailblazers at Adventure Stage Chicago!
2017/'18 Season
Our 2017/'18 Season production of The Tempest featured an ensemble of 13 youth actors and four contributing youth artists. Performances & community outreach events took place at The Joffrey Ballet's Black Box Theatre, The Old Town School of Folk Music, and the Addison Public Library. The artistic process featured a collaboration with Third Coast percussionist, Peter Ferry, and visiting artists, Lawrence Grimm and Samuel Taylor. Click on the image to view the production program.
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Israel Terrell (Ariel) in performance at Joffrey Tower.
Catherine Wilson (Caliban) in performance at Joffrey Tower
The 2018 Summer Shakes program culminated in our first devised production, comprised of scenes and selected text from over 15 Shakespeare plays.
Ticketed & community outreach performances were held at Raven Theatre, The School of Theatre & Music at UIC, and Adventure Stage Chicago. Click the image to view the production program.
In rehearsal on campus at The School of Theatre & Music at UIC.
2016/'17 Season
Our 2016/'17 production of Hamlet featured the work of nine youth actors, and artistic collaborations with teen LTAB poets, Ireon Roach and Victor Musoni. Ticketed performances and community outreach events were held at Theatre Wit, The Arts Club of Chicago, and LaSalle Language Academy (CPS). Click on the image to view the production program.
Kiara Rivera (Horatio) and Freedom Martin (Hamlet) in performance at Theater Wit.
Hamlet (Freedom Martin) ponders his mother's "hasty" marriage to his uncle.
Our 2017 Summer Shakes program culminated in a production of Much Ado About Nothing, with ticketed and community outreach shows at Fury Theatre, Open Books West Loop, Adventure Stage Chicago, and Indian Boundary Park. Click on the image to view the production program.
Maiya Swedberg (Conrade), Nico Olszanski (Watchman), Brandon Lozano (Dogberry), Antoinette Pompe Van MeerderVort (Antonia),
and Haley Seda (Sexton) performing at Indian Boundary Park.
2015/'16 Season
Our 2015/'16 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream featured an ensemble of 14 youth artists and a collaboration with Rough House Theatre. Ticketed performances and community outreach shows were held at Center on Halsted's Hoover-Leppen Theatrer, Hefferan Elementary School (CPS) and Kelvyn Park High School (CPS). Click on the image to view the production program.
Karla Corona (Titania) with fairies: Kiara Rivera, Coda Marcus, Gabriel Girson, and Tori Okabi in performance at Center on Halsted.
The 2016 Summer Shakes program culminated in a production of The Comedy of Errors, with performances and community outreach shows at Stage 773 Theater and Noble Street College Prep (CPS). Click on the image to view the production program.
The Dromios: Oskar Westbridge and Simon Cohen in performance at Stage 773.
2014/'15 Season
Our 2014/'15 Ensemble production of Romeo and Juliet featured ten youth actors and a collaboration with playwright, Danielle Littman. Ticketed performances and community outreach shows were held at Gorilla Tango Theatre, Charnel House, Lakeview High School (CPS), and Theodore Roosevelt High School (CPS). Click on the image to view the production program.
Freya Trefonides (Juliet) and Nina Sachs (Romeo) in performance at Gorilla Tango Theatre.
Our 2015 Summer Shakes program culminated in a production of Julius Caesar, with ticketed shows and community outreach events at Center on Halsted's Hoover-Leppen Theater, Roe Elementary School (CPS), and Unity Park in Logan Square. Click on the image to view the production program.
Mari'jae Moore (Julius Caesar) in performance at Center on Halsted.
2013/'14 Season
Our very first CYS Ensemble program culminated in a production of Macbeth, with ticketed performances and community outreach shows at The Lincoln Park Cultural Center, Phoenix Military Academy (CPS), and Urban Prep Academy, Englewood (CPS). Click on the image to view the production program.
Getting silly in rehearsal at The Athenaeum.
Our very first Summer Shakes program culminated in a production of As You Like It, with ticketed and community outreach shows at The Hairpin Arts Center, Wrigley Square at Millennium Park, Unity Park in Logan Square, Piccolo Theatre, and The Admiral on the Lake. Click on the image to view the production program.
Jesse Granato (Touchstone) and Sophia Carlin (Celia) in performance at The Admiral on the Lake.
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