Meet our Spring Showcase Ensembles!

Our ensembles are all back in rehearsals ready to continue our Season of Invention!

This spring, A.B.L.E. is hosting three showcase ensembles. Each group will collaborate over the course of 6 rehearsals to devise an original showcase centered on our season theme of INVENTION.

Read on to meet the 50 actors, facilitators, and teaching artists who are shaping our work this semester, and learn more about what they’re inventing together:

Sunday Ensemble

In our Sunday Showcase Ensemble, Teaching Artists Perry and Ari will introduce a range of theatre games and activities aimed creating original characters and inventions.

This is a great team of 10 actors, including some Sunday regulars and folks like Maggie and John who are joining us after a break, and Kevin who is participating with us in person for the first time this semester! And we have a stellar support team of 6 facilitators, including newcomers Claire, Haley, and Sarah!

This ensemble will share their original inventions in an Inventor’s Symposium on Friday April 4th at The Understudy

Monday Ensemble

Teaching Artists Perry and Kiaran have planned a fun-filled 6-weeks for this team - we'll explore how different types of performers create their work. Each actor will pick a performer archetype - from magicians to dancers to lounge singers and more - to develop an original act for a cabaret-style showcase.

This is an established group of actors including founding ensemble members Emily and Sam. And we have a stellar support team of 7 facilitators, including our longest serving volunteer Lindsay (12 years and counting!) and brand new facilitator, Kaitlynn! We can't wait to see what they invent together!

This ensemble will share their cabaret for one-night-only on Saturday April 5th at The Understudy!

Virtual Ensemble

Teaching Artists Lawrence and Melanie are looking at how we invent our online personas. We'll investigate different social media trends, create new characters, and work together to film a series of reels and short videos that will be shared across ABLE's social channels throughout the spring.

The virtual ensemble is Zooming in from 5 different states to make some magic this spring! This is a great roster of 8 actors, including first-timers Carlos and Sarah. And we're excited to work with 5 facilitators, including new volunteers Ari and Caroline!

We'll kick off our video series with an informal Q&A to take audiences behind the scenes of our process on Monday April 7th on Zoom!

About our Venue Partner

The Understudy is a theatre bookstore and specialty coffee shop catering to Chicago’s vibrant theatre community and creative types of all kinds. Named in honor of all the hidden work it takes to make a play happen, The Understudy is dedicated to fostering discovery, community, and collaboration every day. The Understudy opened in 2022 and quickly became a fixture of the Chicago theatre community - serving up specialty coffees, hosting book clubs and play readings, and serving as a space for new work and different events. The Understudy has been featured in The Reader (voted best coffee shop two years in a row!), Time Out, and Eater.

Co-owner Danny Fender has served as a stage manager for several ABLE productions including the ABLE-tational Variety Show and Reconnect, and, along with husband and co-owner Adam Todd Crawford, has been a great supporter of our programs over the years. We are excited to bring our work to this unique, intimate venue, and to connect with our audiences in new ways!

Stay tuned to see what we INVENT this semester!

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