2021-2022 Season Announcement
Congo Square Theatre Company announces dynamic 2021-22 Season, highlighted by ChicagoPremiere of interactive ‘community ritual,’ What to Send Up When It Goes Down by Aleshea Harris, to tour locally March 17-April 24, 2022
SEASON OFFERS BOTH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING:
New weekly radio drama, The Clinic, launches September 9
Second season of popular online sketch comedy show, Hit ‘Em on the Blackside, airs in two parts: October 2021 and May 2022
Live performance returns in 2022 via signature Festival on the Square celebration & Vision Benefit, February 3-5, 2022
Plus, Congo Square Industry Training Institute (CITI) continues valuable virtual theater industry workshops
CHICAGO (August 10, 2021)—Congo Square Theatre Company (Congo Square), one of the nation’s premier African American theater companies, is proud to announce its 2020-21 season, a robust and dynamic mix of online and in-person programming, running the gamut from laugh-out-loud sketch comedy to an interactive, thought-provoking ‘community ritual’ touring Chicago neighborhoods.
“We are thrilled for this coming season and the return to live theatre. COVID truly has been a blessing for us as an organization and has given us new tenacity towards of 2021-2022 vision. In the coming year, COngo Square will further anchor in our mission and vision to be a haven for artists of color and truly being a home that develops end equips the next generation of Black voices. Futher, we are excited to continue expanding our engagement with our audiences both in the physical and digital space and we continue to bring fresh content and works exploring the complexities and expansiveness of Black culture in a way that is accessible to all.” said Congo Square’s Executive Director Charlique C. Rolle.
Kicking off Congo Square’s 22nd season will be the launch of a new audio series introducing the old school radio drama genre to a new, streaming audience. The inaugural program, The Clinic which will air in four free half-hour or less weekly segments, from September 9 – October 10, 2021.
Then, the popular online sketch comedy series Hit ‘Em on the Blackside returns with its second season of spot-on topical humor segments, with Part One episodes dropping on the company’s YouTube channel weekly October 29-December 10, 2021, and Part Two launching May 13-June 17, 2022. Hit ‘Em on the Blackside webisodes will be compiled into a full show on Congo Square’s website; new for the 2021-22 season will be live ‘watch parties’ enabling fans to enjoy the entire series together on December 10, 2021, and June 24, 2022.
Then, live performance joyfully returns via Congo Square’s signature Festival on the Square celebration and Vision Benefit, the weekend of February 3-5, 2022. Festival on the Square honors the original Congo Square marketplace in New Orleans, where people of color communed through music and dance and celebrated the cultures of their homelands. The two-day celebration of the arts will feature a Young Playwright festival and staged readings by Emerging/Professional Playwrights, along with dance, music, and other live performances. The weekend will culminate with the Company’s 2022 Vision Benefit fundraiser.
The Congo Square 2021-22 Season proudly concludes with the Chicago Premiere of What to Send Up When It Goes Down by Aleshea Harris, March 17-April 24, 2022. Seeking to speak to the current moment, this powerful new work is a community ritual created in response to the deaths of Black people as a result of racialized violence. As a means of facilitating healing for Chicago’s Black community, Congo Square will tour this interactive production to several neighborhoods around the city, focusing on those impacted the most.
Please note scheduling of all live performances will be based on updated health guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic.
CITI Workshops
Congo Square Industry Training Institute (CITI) workshops continue this season, designed for working and aspiring artists to enhance their knowledge of the industry as well as their acting skills. The five workshops will cover topics including acting, auditioning, directing, and writing. Returning to lead these valuable 3- and 4-week online Zoom workshops are Ensemble Members Tracey N. Bonner, Javon Johnson, and Ann Joseph-Douglas. Each workshop session is $30.00 and free for currently enrolled college or graduate school students, thanks to a generous donation from the Robert and Toni Bader Charitable Foundation. Upcoming courses include: Master the Art of Self-Tape with Tracey N. Bonner (Session 1: Sept. 12, 27, 30, Oct 4. 6p-8p CST; Session 2: Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31; Session 3: Mar. 28, Apr. 4, Apr. 11, Apr. 18), From Page to Stage: Auditioning for the Stage with Ann Joseph Douglas (Oct. 11, 17, 24 6p-8p CST); Secure the Bag: Grantwriting for Individual Artists with AnnJoseph Douglas (Nov. 1, 8, 15 6p-8p CST); How to Write for TV/Film with Javon Johnson (Mar. 7, 14, 21, 28 6p-8p CST); My Big Break: How to Break into the Business with Javon Johnson (May 2, 9, 15, 23 6p-8p CST)Registration is now open; visit congosquaretheatre.org/citi
CONGO SQUARE THEATRE COMPANY’S 2021-2022 SEASON
Audio Series, inaugural program: The Clinic
September 9 – October 10, 2021
Directed by Ensemble Member Daniel Bryant and features Ensemble Members Aimee K. Bryant, Aaron Todd Douglas, Tracey N. Bonner, Will Sims II, and guest artist Jonathan Perkins.
Tickets: Online with a suggested donation of $10
A steaming, streaming, old-school radio drama created by Congo Square ensemble members and streaming in four weekly segments on the Congo Square website. As described by Ensemble Members and writers Monifa Days and Javon Johnson, The Clinic is “a nod to the old school soap opera-style dramas that follows the journey of Dr. Latisha Bradley who is changing the world with a life-altering discovery that was meant to help all but only helps some. Everyone wants in. Dr. Bradley not only has to deal with changing the future of medicine but betrayal and matters of the heart.”
Hit ‘Em on the Blackside
Part One: October-December 2021, Part Two: May-June 2022
Directed by Congo Square Ensemble Member Anthony Irons, featuring Ensemble Members Ronald L. Conner, Alexis J. Roston, Kelvin Roston Jr., and guest artist Tiffany Addison.
Tickets: Free online
Release dates for 2021 webisodes: Oct. 29, Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Nov. 17, Nov. 26, Dec. 3
Release dates for 2022 webisodes: May 13, May 20, May 27, June 3, June 10, June 17
The cast and crew of Congo Square’s hit sketch comedy Hit‘em On The Blackside up the ante in Season 2 by bringing back memorable characters from Season 1 for an exciting crossover story that spans 12 new episodes. Plus, new characters and storylines are introduced, all with deliberate nods to social themes including justice and equality, promising a season as thought-provoking and ‘in your face’ as ever. The online series posts bi-weekly webisodes for free viewing on the company’s social media and YouTube pages. Hit ‘Em on the Blackside webisodes are compiled into a full show on Congo Square’s website; new for the 2021-22 season will be live ‘watch parties’ enabling fans to enjoy the entire series together on December 10, 2021, and June 24, 2022.
Festival on the Square + Vision Benefit
February 3-5, 2022
Tickets & locations TBA
Congo Square’s annual Festival on the Square is a lively, family-friendly two-day celebration of the arts, inspired by the original Congo Square located in New Orleans. This year’s edition, returning to an in-person presentation will showcase a 10-minute Young Playwright Festival, Emerging/Professional Playwright staged reading, and a vibrant collection of dance, music, and live performances. The festival weekend culminates with Congo Square’s 2022 Vision Benefit, an entertaining opportunity to help support Congo Square’s important mission. Locations for all activities are to be announced at a later date; more information on play submissions and overall programming will be live on the website in September. To explore, please visit congosquaretheatre.org/fos.
What to Send Up When It Goes Down
March 26th-May 8th
Tickets & locations: TBA
Written by Aleshea Harris, co-directed by Ensemble Members Daniel Bryant and Ericka Ratcliff
As Congo Square reflects on the current state of the world, namely the vicious cycle of the stealing of Black lives, it remains committed to ensuring that Black stories are clearly and unapologetically heard through its own lenses and that Black communities are given space to heal and find freedom and unity. What to Send Up When It Goes Down does exactly this, providing a much-needed voice and story to be shared with Chicago during this time. Above all, Congo Square’s goal through producing this powerful, interactive work is to intentionally create a space for the community to heal together; as such, this production will tour throughout the city, with locations to be announced at a later date.