A monthly celebration of theater and our community, featuring curated videos, interviews and more. | View online

NOVEMBER 2020


One voice can open a mind, touch a heart, even change the world.

Pulitzer Prize-finalist Dael Orlandersmith’s Until the Flood is an important meditation on the impact a single voice can have—for ourselves and for others—in the wake of tragedy. This month, we explore the powerful spell that solo work can cast. 


Until the Flood

Until the Flood

Now streaming—FREE and on-demand

On August 9, 2014, Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, in Ferguson. The shooting ignited weeks of social unrest and propelled the activist movement Black Lives Matter.

Traveling to the region, Dael Orlandersmith conducted interviews with dozens of people who were grievously shaken by the shooting and its turbulent aftermath. She created from these intimate conversations eight unforgettable characters who embody a community struggling to come to terms with the personal damage caused by these complex events.

Until the Flood is a tour-de-force one-woman production that explores the roiling currents of American history, race and politics that exploded in the streets of Ferguson and sent shock waves across the nation. The performance, which made its Chicago debut at the Goodman in 2018, is directed for the stage and television by Neel Keller.  


"Until the Flood resonates with ALL of us now more than ever. I hope this piece brings communication/thought."

—Dael Orlandersmith

A Note From Robert Falls

A Note From Robert Falls

After a summer of worldwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement—and against police brutality—this this solo performance piece feels all the more urgent. Artistic Director Robert Falls shares why there is always room for solo work on Goodman stages and the importance of amplifying voices we might not otherwise hear.  


A Singular Body of Work

A Singular Body of Work

Four Goodman productions, one captivating ability to write, inhabit and empathize with characters of all demographics and world views.


Future Labs

Future Labs

Seeking New Voices

Introducing Future Labs, a new artistic program to develop bold, imaginative plays by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI and other playwrights of color. Selected artists will receive readings and creative support.

In Her Own Words

Hear Dael Orlandersmith dig into the creative process three different ways: Listen to Dael and Until the Flood director Neel Keller discuss the play's development in an episode of the 30 to Curtain podcast; revisit Dael’s Live @ Five character development masterclass; and watch as Dael and 2020 MacArthur Fellow, choreographer and playwright Larissa FastHorse share what inspires them to create transformative work in a Goodman Theatre Artist Encounter

Still Connected

Willa J. Taylor, Walter Director of Education and Engagement, offers a closer look at how the Goodman as an arts and community organization responds to our current moment.


Who I Am

Who I Am

From Tulsa, Oklahoma to a Civil War battlefield and beyond, this summer the participants of GeNarrations—the Goodman’s storytelling performance workshop for adults 55+—explored “Stories of the Systems that Built Us.” As protests for racial justice continue across the country, three storytellers share the moments that shaped their perspectives on race and racism in America.


InterGens

InterGens Fall Performance

Saturday, November 21 @ 6PM

Tune in to the final performance of the Fall 2020 InterGens ensemble, themed around “Radical Imagination,” streaming on YouTube and the Goodman website


CSO The Soldier's Tale

The Soldier's Tale

Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale weaves the story of a soldier who tricks the devil into drinking too much vodka. Using seven musicians and an actor, The Soldier’s Tale combines accents of military marching bands and ragtime into a one-of-a-kind musical experience. Featuring James Earl Jones II, who appeared at Goodman Theatre in the world premiere of Carlyle, this is a virtual concert you won’t want to miss. Click here to purchase this episode for only $15!  

Until the Flood Sponsor