Sep 11, 2013 ... CELIA CRUZ co-written with Carmen Rivera – (New World Stages – NYC;
Athenaeum/Chicago; Bellas. Contact: Ivan Vega. UrbanTheater ...
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 11, 2013
Contact: Ivan Vega UrbanTheater Company (UTC)
[email protected] Buy Tickets at: www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org or by calling: 312-239-8783
UrbanTheater Company Presents the Midwest Premiere of
FIRST CLASS
By Cándido Tirado Directed by Ensemble Member Juan Castañeda September 16 – October 22, 2013
"FIRST CLASS" Written By: Cándido Tirado Directed by: Juan Castañeda Featuring: Ivan Vega and Hank Hilbert Location: 2628 W. Division, Chicago, IL 60647 Dates: Preview: Saturday, September 14 at 7:30pm and Sunday, September 15 at 3pm, 2013 Press Performance: Monday, September 16 at 7:30pm Regular Run: Monday, September 16 – Tuesday, October 22 (no performance 9/17) Curtain Times: Sunday at 3pm, Monday and Tuesday at 7:30pm Community Discount: Half off for Humboldt Park residents with 60622 zip code (must show valid ID) Free Outdoor Community Performance: Saturday, September 28 & Saturday, October 5 at 3pm at La Casita de Don Pedro Courtyard - 2625 W. Division St. (across from performance space) | Reservations required:
[email protected] Tickets: www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org or (312) 239-8783 About First Class Set on a bench in a traffic island in New York, gang territory, we meet two brothers. “Apache,” set on fighting to protect what belongs to them and “Speedy,” ready to leave it all behind. As tension between the two grows, self-discoveries lead them to understand that their chances of survival are reliant on one another. But will it be enough?
“UrbanTheater Company is very proud to present the Midwest Premiere of First Class in Humboldt Park as well as our free outdoor community performances. We pride ourselves in giving back to the community especially in the current tenor of today’s violent atmosphere and we are committed to making a difference. With this production, we are taking our motto ‘From the Streets to the Stage’ and we are bringing our stage work back to our streets. We are involved in monumental work that will make a difference in the mind of our youth. Join us in the collaborated effort to open a window of possibility to our youth and our community.” --Ivan Vega, Executive Director About Cándido Tirado Cándido Tirado is the author of numerous plays including FISH MEN, which was co-produced by The Goodman Theatre and Teatro Vista, Nominated for 4 Jeffs and Steinberg award, Edgerton Foundation New Play Award (TCG), New York Foundation of the Arts “NYFA” Fellowship, CELIA: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF CELIA CRUZ co-written with Carmen Rivera – (New World Stages – NYC; Athenaeum/Chicago; Bellas
Artes/Santurce, Puerto Rico); MOMMA’S BOYZ (Produced by Teatro Vista/Chicago, Spanish Repertory/New York, Ateneo/Puerto Rico, “NYFA” Fellowship, chosen Chicago Top Ten plays in 2011 by the Huffington Post); THE BARBER SHOP (Spanish Repertory); KING WITHOUT A CASTLE (Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (P.R.T.T.)/Sundance Institute Theater Lab./”NYFA” Fellowship); FIRST CLASS, CHECKING OUT (P.R.T.T.) SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALL THE LUCK (National Theater of Dominican Republic) SALSA NIGHTS (Latino Experimental Fantastic Theater) THE KID NEXT DOOR “NYFA” Fellowship) Other Plays: TWO DIAMONDS, WHEN NATURE CALLS, ABUELO, THE MISSING COLORS OF THE RAINBOW, HEY THERE BLACK CAT, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, LA CANCION(commissioned Spanish Repertory) PALLADIUM and HOUSE OF SOULS both co-written. Publications: FIRST CLASS – Recent Puerto Rican Theater-Arte Publico; SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALL THE LUCK – Nuestro New York – Penguin, Mentor Books; MOMMA’S BOYZ – Nuestras Voces – No Passport; Ilka the Dream: Positive/Negative: Women of Color Living with H.I.V. (Aunt Lute Books) He’s also a staff writer for the hit web series East WillyB. Co-founder Educational Plays Productions with his wife Carmen Rivera, which tours the public schools with socially relevant plays for youth. www.candidotirado.com About UrbanTheater Company UrbanTheater Company (UTC) was founded in 2005 by a Latino ensemble deeply rooted in their community and culture. In 2005, UTC presented its inaugural production of Miguel Piñero’s 1974 Drama Critics Circle Award and Obie Award winning play Short Eyes, directed by Court Theatre’s Resident Artist/Director Ron OJ Parson. The theatrical community’s support of UTC’s inaugural offering and the critical success of Short Eyes led to UTC dedicating its Premiere Season to producing the Major Plays of Miguel Piñero. In 2006, UTC produced two more Piñero plays, both Midwest Premieres: The Sun Always Shines for the Cool, directed by UTC Co-Founder Madrid St. Angelo and Eulogy for A Small Time Thief, directed by Collaboraction Theater’s Joel Moormon. Both plays were critically acclaimed by Chicago’s theatrical community and garnered UTC with two awards and citations: Performink and Gay Chicago’s Top Ten Best of the Year, The Sun Always Shines for the Cool; After Dark Best Actor and Best Set Design, UTC Co-Founder, Ivan Vega and Jorge Félix, respectively. As a platform for multicultural representation in the arena of performance and story-telling, UTC continues to serve as a bridge between artists of all mediums, our varying and respective communities of color and our communities’ youth. UTC engages itself in the work of community responsibility and has worked to raise awareness concerning many of the social issues facing our diverse backgrounds. Further, during UTC's eighth season, we welcome the partnership of Batey Urbano and Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC). UTC and Batey Urbano will collaborate with future artistic developments and continued partnership in the community of Humboldt Park and its youth. Batey Urbano, This Puerto Rican/Latino youth membership club exists with a threefold purpose: a) to showcase the talents of the area's youth and engage them in a continuous dialogue about youth, art, culture and the community; b) to link Puerto Rican/Latino students in the area universities with the community, particularly through publications and performances; and c) to provide a place in which older youth share their creative skills in a process of social ecology with younger people. UTC, the professional theater in partnership with Batey Urbano, is located at 2628 W. Division St. in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. For additional information on UTC, visit: www.UrbanTheaterChicago.org, www.facebook.com/UrbanTheater or www.twitter.com/UrbanTheater. [Video] http://bit.ly/CandidoSpeaksAboutFirstClass ###
