American Blues Theater's The Rainmaker To Feature Lakeview Actor Matt Pratt

CHICAGO – Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago’s second oldest Equity ensemble celebrating 30 years of presenting visceral theatrical works while engaging its audience in missions of local service agencies, are proud to announce The Rainmaker, by N. Richard Nash and directed by American Blues Theater Co-Founding Member Ed Blatchford, August 28 – September 27 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. “Pink Previews”, where tickets sales benefit the Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research, are August 28 – August 30 following the regular schedule. Opening night is Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with additional Saturday matinees, September 19 and 26 at 3 p.m. Tickets for “Pink Preview” performances are $19. Regular run performances tickets are $29 Thursdays and Fridays and $39 Saturdays and Sundays. Opening night tickets are $49 and include access to the post-show reception. All tickets are currently on sale at 773.404.7336 or AmericanBluesTheater.com.

N. Richard Nash’s unabashedly optimistic play became a Broadway hit telling the story of plain and hardworking Lizzie Curry (Linsey Page Morton) as she finds herself falling in love, against her better judgment, with a traveler (Steve Key*) who promises to bring rain to her family’s ever-dry Texas town. “After nearly half a century, The Rainmaker still makes a handsome case for miracles,” said the Los Angeles Times.

Ed Blatchford, an American Blues Theater co-founding member, returns to American Blues to direct this production. “After 30 years, American Blues is still a vital part of the Chicago theater scene. I’m honored to return and represent the initial pulse - that first spark that Rick Cleveland, William Payne, Jim Leaming and I shared in 1985.”

The Rainmaker also features guest artists Danny Goldring, Vince Teninty, Robert Brueler, Matt Pratt and Howie Johnson.

The production team includes Sarah E. Ross* (scenic), Sarah Hughey* (lights), Christopher Neville* (costumes), Joe Cerqua (sound), Jamie Karas (props), Kathryn Lochert* (stage manager), Kathy Logelin (dialect coach) and Lauri Dahl* (dramaturg).

*connotes American Blues Ensemble member and Artistic Affiliates.

American Blues Theater’s TOWN HALLS

American Blues Theater offers a free opportunity for audiences and fans of the theater to learn more about the current presentation. All Town Halls are held immediately following that Sunday’s 2:30 p.m. performance, August 30 – September 20. The schedule for Town Halls is

August 30 - Meet Director Ed Blatchford and cast of The Rainmaker

September 6 - Girl Scout Troop #40964 discusses “Being a Girl in 2015”

Sept 13 - Dr. Michele Kerulis, psychologist, leads a discussion about female image

Sept 20 - Meet the cast of The Rainmaker

COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR The Rainmaker

American Blues Theater is proud to continue “Pink Previews” for this production. Proceeds from preview performances are donated to the Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research. In addition, American Blues partners with IL Farm Bureau, Girl Scout Troop #40964 of Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and Adler University for The Rainmaker.

ABOUT N. RICHARD NASH, playwright
N. Richard Nash was a prolific and popular writer of plays, movies and books that are performed and appreciated around the world. His most famous play, The Rainmaker, and the musical version, 110 in the Shade, (with lyrics by Tom Jones and score by Harvey Schmidt of The Fantasticks) have been translated into numerous languages and performed around the globe.

ABOUT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER

American Blues Theater is the premier American theater producing visceral theatrical works while engaging its audience in missions of local service agencies. American Blues Theater illuminates the American ideas of freedom, equality, and opportunity in the plays produced and communities served.

The multi-generational and interdisciplined artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago. The 39-member Ensemble has 539 combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2015, they’ve individually received nearly 150 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater including the 2014 Jeff Awards for Production-Musical-Midsize, Hank Williams: Lost Highway; Actor in a Principal Role – Musical, Matthew Brumlow, Hank Williams: Lost Highway; Solo Performance, Gwendolyn Whiteside, Grounded; Music Direction, Malcolm Ruhl, Hank Williams: Lost Highway and Sound Design, Lindsay Jones, Grounded and over 22 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.

The American Blues Theater Ensemble includes all four Founders Ed Blatchford, Rick Cleveland, James Leaming, and William Payne with Dawn Bach, Matthew Brumlow, Manny Buckley, Kate Buddeke, Sarah Burnham, Dara Cameron, Casey Campbell, Brian Claggett, Dennis Cockrum, Austin Cook, Laura Coover, Lauri Dahl, Kristin DeiTos, Joe Foust, Tom Geraty, Cheryl Graeff, Marty Higginbotham, Jaclyn Holsey, Lindsay Jones, Samantha Jones, Nambi E. Kelley, Kevin R. Kelly, Steve Key, Ed Kross, Warren Levon, Michael Mahler, Kelli Marino, Heather Meyers, John Mohrlein, Jim Ortlieb, Suzanne Petri, Carmen Roman, Editha Rosario, Sarah E. Ross and Gwendolyn Whiteside.

The Rainmaker, by N. Richard Nash and directed by American Blues Theater Co-Founding Member Ed Blatchford, August 28 – September 27 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. “Pink Previews”, where tickets sales benefit the Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research, are August 28 – August 30 following the regular schedule. Opening night is Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with additional Saturday matinees, September 19 and 26 at 3 p.m. Tickets for “Pink Preview” performances are $19. Regular run performances tickets are $29 Thursdays and Fridays and $39 Saturdays and Sundays. Opening night tickets are $49 and include access to the post-show reception. All tickets are currently on sale at 773.404.7336 or AmericanBluesTheater.com.

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The Rainmaker is made possible in part by funding by The MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for Professional Development, the Shubert Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, SMART Growth Grant, Arts Work Fund, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Anixter Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, and the Chip Pringle Fund. ComEd is the 2015-2016 Season Lighting Sponsor.