With shows cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, many theaters are streaming their productions or posting archived recordings of past performances. Here is a current list of those streaming options. Albany Park Theater Project: Has video clips and full-length productions on Vimeo at vimeo.com/albanyparktheater American Blues Theater: Scenes from past productions are being posted on Facebook including "Illegal Use Of Hands," "The Rainmaker," "Yankee Tavern," "Tobacco Road" among others. www.facebook.com/americanbluestheater Annoyance Theater: You can stream their show "Out of Touch" which was created shortly before the shelter-in-place order. There is a suggested donation of $5. www.theannoyance.com/lockin Black Button Eyes Productions: Is presenting the world premiere of Masque of the Red Coronavirus, a free online-only script and video experience, written and directed by Producing Artistic Director Ed Rutherford and adapted, in part, from Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Masque of Red Death. www.blackbuttoneyes.com/masque-of-the-red-coronavirus Black Ensemble Theater: Streaming a series called "Ask Us." Jackie Taylor's pioneering troupe has refuted outdated assumptions governing African-American theater over the last fifty years to attract a multicultural following, and in this live-feed series, the senior artists show you what it looks like and share backstories of how they did it. www.facebook.com/BlackEnsembleTheater Broadway in Chicago: Launched "Around Broadway in 80 Days." Invited those who played or were scheduled to play a qualifying role at an IHSMTA participating school this year or you are an alumni of the program to upload a 1-3 minute long performance video (song, dance, song & dance) of a musical theatre song to be included in Broadway In Chicago's Around Broadway in 80 Days. www.broadwayinchicago.com and on social media #AroundBroadwayIn80Days. Chicago Children's Theater: Chicago Children's Theatre is encouraging children and families to stay home and join in on one of our many Play at Home Classes! They upload new videos daily and weekly for kids. You'll know when there's a new class when there's a button that says Take Class. They will also be offering a variety of live and interactive classes via Zoom. chicagochildrenstheatre.org/education/play-at-home-classes Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Created "Shakes@Home" on its website. Whether you're teaching remotely or looking for a fun activity for the family this weekend, they have got you covered. Explore education tools, centuries of critical thinking, artistic interpretation, and more. www.chicagoshakes.com/about_us/resources ComedySportz Chicago: The ComedySportz building may be closed, but they can still make you laugh with lots of virtual offerings including kids shows, workshops and their famous ComedySportz shows. www.cszchicago.com Goodman Theater: Jocelyn Bioh's play "School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play," is available for streaming at www.goodmantheatre.org/StreamSchoolGirls) through April 26. Also available for streaming is the 2016 production of "2666." www.goodmantheatre.org/watch2666. Hell in a Handbag: Posted their 2012 musical "Sexy Baby." They have never posted one of their shows in its entirety before but thought that now we need to laugh more than ever. www.youtube.com The Hideout: Is on Twitch with a changing lineup and virtual tip jar. www.twitch.tv/hideoutchicago Jeff Awards:The Chicago theater community's annual awards recognizing non-Equity theater productions will be presented in a virtual format on Monday, June 8, 2020. www.jeffawards.org/ Lookingglass Theater: Lookingglass Theater has developed a whole host of free digital offerings presented Lookingglass Ensemble Members and Artistic Associates, including a new weekly podcast, a virtual yoga class, and exclusive performances. lookingglasstheatre.org/the-infinite-room-podcast/ and www.facebook.com/lookingglasstheatre/ Lucky Plush Productions: They are streaming 25+ classes a week, seven days a week, via their new Virtual Dance Lab in partnership with University of Chicago. www.luckyplush.com/virtual-dance-lab Magic Parlour: Chicago magician Dennis Watkins' show at the Palmer House Hilton has been adapted into "The Magic Parlour Happy Hour," a weekly Facebook Live feed. 6 p.m. Thursdays at www.facebook.com/TheMagicParlour Manuel Cinema: Launched Manual Cinema On Demand where you can stream shows. www.manualcinema.com Mercury Theater of Chicago: Since you can't come to the Mercury, they are bringing the Mercury to you! They will be bringing you a series of videos featuring their artists in their homes www.facebook.com/MercuryChicago Neo-Futurists: Has created "The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral." The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral! 30 Digital Plays in 60 Analog Minutes is an online adaptation of their in-the-flesh, ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform thirty plays in sixty minutes for a live audience. They begin a new chapter of Neo-Futurist experimentation with new forms and new means of participation. neofuturists.org/events/the-infinite-wrench-goes-viral/ Otherworld Theater: The storefront known for science fiction and fantasy has many online offerings on YouTube, Facebook and the Patreon platform. www.otherworldtheatre.org Paramount Theater: Has been running Connection: A Social Media Concert Series, with an open call for submissions to crowdsource songs, stories, poems, and even dance pieces, around a different theme each week. Connection concerts drop every Saturday at 8 pm CST on Paramount's social feeds and website. www.youtube.com The Passage Theater: Has postponed its production of "All-One! The Dr. Bronner's Play." In the meantime, it will stream a staged reading version May 1 - May 10. www.thepassagetheatre.com/ Pride Films and Plays: Having a virtual reading of "Mothers and Sons" on Thursday, April 16 at 7pm. www.pridefilmsandplays.com QuaranStream Theater Festival: The QuaranStream Theater Festival is a week-long virtual festival of short plays and performances created specifically for live-streaming. Each show is created, directed and performed by theatre artists around the world; all from the safety of their homes! During the festival, over 70 artists will take the virtual stage to showcase their creative quarantine innovations! www.facebook.com/QuaranStreamTheatre/ Random Acts: Presents "Random Acts of Theatre: A Digital Fringe Festival" streaming from April 18 - 27. www.randomactschicago.com/
Season of Concern: "Chicago Offstage! Live at Home", a virtual streaming event debuting live on Season of Concern's new YouTube channel on Sunday, April 19, at 6 pm. Chicago Offstage! promises to be a one-of-a-kind live-streaming event where Chicago theater fans can gather online from the comfort and safety of their homes to watch a collection of A-list Chicago actors talking live with WGN-TV's popular "Around Town" reporter, with special live music and comedy performances along the way. Second City: Physical distance doesn't mean social distance. Right now, the world is consuming more content than ever before and Second City is offering online classes, fun live-stream learning, and virtual shows. www.secondcity.com/new-online-improv-offerings Sideshow Theater Co.: The 2016 hit production "The Happiest Place on Earth," is now available to stream. www.sideshowtheatre.org Silk Road Rising: has five plays to stream on their website. www.silkroadrising.org/media-arts Theater Wit: Their show "Teenage Dick" can be streamed through May 3. www.theaterwit.org Underscore Theater: In addition to their updated Youtube page, they are showing off Chicago-based artists on Mondays and Fridays on their social media pages. Follow along for fun activities for all ages, including children's story-time, artist concert takeovers, and mat pilates! www.facebook.com/underscoretheatre Victory Gardens Theater: Will be offering a 2-week streaming run of its critically acclaimed production of "Fun Home" from 2017. Details about the online run will be available soon. www.victorygardens.org/ [END]
