Daryl Brooks

The nonprofit Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago has announced the winners of its 23rd Annual Black Excellence Awards, honored Monday night in a festive celebration at Black Ensemble Theater. Learn more about the winners here!

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre has revealed the cast and production team of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's provocative musical Assassins.

The Phoenix Theatre Company’s production, directed by Daryl Brooks, has three key elements that hold this golden oldie together ~ Miciah Lathan, for sure; the astonishing and stellar performance of Antonio King; and, of course, the compositions of Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen. Runs through September 3rd.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre has announced its 2023-2024 season which will include a trio of Stephen Sondheim classics. See full programming and learn how to purchase tickets!

Black Ensemble Theater’s Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor continues the 2022 Season of Excellence: The Season of Healing and Joy with the world premiere of Grandma’s Jukebox, written and directed by Michelle Reneé Bester. 

In The Phoenix Theatre Company’s current production of Marsha Norman's THE COLOR PURPLE, director Daryl Brooks has crafted a masterpiece of transcendent theatre that embodies all the pain and spirit of a Gospel-sustained and resilient community and one of its children. Starring Andrea Fleming in a dazzling bravura performance as Celie. The must-see show runs through May 1st.

Black Ensemble Theater's Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor announces its 2022 Season of Excellence: The Season of Healings. 

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre returns to live performances and the launch of its 27th Mainstage season with Pump Boys & Dinettes, now playing through December 12 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N.

After the long pandemic hiatus, Porchlight Music Theatre returns to in-person productions with a feel-good staging of PUMP BOYS & DINETTES. It’s clear that Artistic Director Michael Weber knew that audiences would be craving some classic, lighthearted musical theater sentiment after such a long time away. He was wise to program director Daryl Brooks’s production of this 1983 show as a welcome back.

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre returns to live performances and the launch of its 27th Mainstage season with Pump Boys & Dinettes, now playing through December 12 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.

One of the longest running shows in Chicago Theatre history, Pump Boys & Dinettes is a music theatre phenomenon filled with toe-tapping music on guitar, piano, bass and a kitchen utensil or two! This North Carolina dinette is your home off the highway and located just across the street from the filling station.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced its return to live performance with its 27th season that includes the 2021 – 2022 Mainstage, Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway seasons. 

Black Ensemble Theater opens its 2020 Season: Season of Change with Legends the Musical: A Civil Rights Movement, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor. Legends the Musical will be performed February 22-April 12, 2020 at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago. The press opening is Thursday, March 5 at 7:30pm.

Black Ensemble Theater's Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor announces its 44th Season: The 2020 Season of Change. The 2020 Season includes tributes to legendary heroes from throughout history, popular songs that were the B-sides of the record, the life and music of Chaka Khan, and one of the greatest bands of all time a?" Earth, Wind & Fire. All performances will be held at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago. 

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), a program of the Northwestern Settlement, opens its world premiere of ASC Artistic Associate Andrew Marikis' Fast Food Chain tonight, Friday, April 26, at the Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble Street (press opening April 27). This production continues ASC's 15th season, which explores the many challenges of hunger, both literal and metaphorical. Fast Food Chain is directed by Black Ensemble Theater's Daryl Brooks, who helmed ASC's Akeelah and the Bee last season. Casting for the new production includes Davon Roberts (Rudy), La Shone T. Kelly (Akari), Sonya Cha'Rae (Ursula), Yahdina U-Deen (Mbeku), Kelvin Davis (Eddie), Rian Jairell (Mr. Lyons) andLisa Revis (Shadow 1).

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), a program of the Northwestern Settlement, presents the world premiere of ASC Artistic Associate Andrew Marikis' Fast Food Chain from April 26 to May 18, 2019 (press opening April 27) at the Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble Street.

Porchlight Music Theatre and its Board Member and Artistic Associate Brenda Didier hosted a luncheon at Gibson's Bar and Steakhouse, 1028 N. Rush Street, on International Women's Day, Friday, March 8 celebrating women in theatre and announced the launch of The Rachel Rockwell Memorial Fund supporting fierce women behind the table at Porchlight Music Theatre and the 2019 honorees  of the Fund: Denise Karczewski, Shanna Vanderwerker and Christie Chiles Twillie.

Million Dollar Quartet opened Sunday, February 17 at Theatre at the Center in Munster. The show stars Zach Sorrow as Elvis Presley, Michael Kurowski as Jerry Lee Lewis, Tommy Malouf as Johnny Cash, Zachary Stevenson as Carl Perkins, Sean Fortunato as record producer Sam Phillips and Aeriel Williams as singer Dyanne.  Directed by Daryl Brooks, Million Dollar Quartet's cast also includes musicians Michael Sinclair as Jay and Nick Anderson as Fluke.  The show continues its extended run through March 31.  This production is sponsored by Pat Binkley.

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC), a program of the Northwestern Settlement, presents the world premiere of ASC Artistic Associate Andrew Marikis' Fast Food Chain from April 26 to May 18, 2019 (press opening April 27) at the Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble Street. This production continues ASC's 15th season, which explores the many challenges of hunger, both literal and metaphorical. Fast Food Chain is directed by Daryl Brooks, who helmed ASC's Akeelah and the Bee last season.

The nominations have been announced for the 2018 Equity Joseph Jefferson ('Jeff') Awards.