Victory Gardens Theater

Went to the Victory Gardens Theatre for their Ignition 2018 festival.

We were fortunate to witness a staged reading of How to Defend Yourself by Lily Padilla. It was very interesting to see all of the behind the scenes preparations that go into a production of a play.

The actors were excellent and the venue is intimate and welcoming.

The theatre is dedicated to the development and production of new plays and playwrights. It is also exciting to see so many female playwrights getting the opportunity and guidance to finish their productions.

A great place to see up and coming playwrights, plays and actors!

It's theatre week and I want to see a show! Let's Go, Shall We?!?

Victory Gardens, once Biograph, is located in North side Lincoln park area just outside of downtown. It has a history that I wasn't aware of until after which I will get to later. Remind me. Breach is an amazing play that was put on at the Victory Gardens Theatre written by Antionette Nwandu and directed by Lisa Portes. The cast put on an amazing smart comedy play!

My sister and I, walked through the door and to our left was will call; we picked up our tickets there. We made use of the facilities that were very clean. We were about 40 minutes early but thankfully they let us in as it was a bit cold out. We both ordered tea and can you believe that they have ginger beer! There were seats along the wall that we sat at and sipped our spot of tea. Next to us were some of the cast members rehearsing.

This play was still in preview and we were aware of that; it was so cool to see them in action. We noticed that they even had a photo backdrop and an iPad setup for attendees to take photos! It got more crowded as the start time of the show was drawing near. There are two entrances into the theatre and as we entered they scanned both of our tickets. We made our way to our seats which were in the third row and to the right; not a bad seat in house. It was a full house--Lights were dimmed and the show began.

Breach is about a Black woman who experiences and recovers from self hate. Margaret's has a dead end job and a withering relationship. She's obligated to taking care of her aunt who once took care of her. She makes a new friend who helps her along the way named Carolina and she was hilarious. Her current boyfriend was good on paper but not necessarily good for her. Experiences love (as the person she was meant to be with was right under her nose all along) and motherhood. She never got a chance to take back all the harsh words she said her her aunt, but still had a loving support team of people around her.

The cast and crowd were diverse and everyone left the theatre touched! What I got from this show is that life is too short to live it angrily. You miss out on so much in life from a hardened heart. Reminding me how important it is to validate important people in our lives as we don't know what each day holds. We've all gone through things and it doesn't have to define who we are. I really believe too many people are looking for the right person instead of trying to be the right person. These are my goals to continue to love and work on myself. You can do anything you put your mind to--hey, I believe in you!

Oh thanks for the reminding me about the history: John Dillinger, the bank robber, was killed by the FBI on 22July1934, after the movie Manhattan Melodrama and being betrayed by the Lady in Red. The Biograph, which is now Victory gardens, is one of Chicago's last landmarks to exist from its past; Al Capone territory. Tours can be found here.

Breach: February 9 - March 11, 2018
Previews: Feb 9-15th
Regular run: Feb 17-March 11th


Policy: Children under 6 not allowed
(Breach has some language and sexuality) and silence all electronic devices.

Hours:
Tuesdays - Fridays: ​7:30pm
Saturdays:​​ 3:00pm (during regular run) & 7:30pm
Sundays:​​ 3:00pm

"Love yourself and the rest will follow!"
-unknown

I haven't been here for years, since the reign of the previous director they turned the direction into shows that I didn't have an interest in seeing. Now they are back, and the anticipation for interesting plays has brought me buzzing. I saw Queen of the Night which was a very well written, directed, and acted intimate play for 2 actors. There was great risk to turn this into an overly sentimental/superficial type of generational interaction, but I was greatly pleased to see two complex characters not defined by any one trait, interacting as humans from different worlds despite being in the same family. The house was intimate and you felt very close to the action (in the upstairs Richardson theater RIP). The lobby was open early for checking in and a drink, of which I availed myself (nice strong/bitter cocktail). Just a note that nobody was there at the front checking for COVID precautions until more people were coming in, I was not checked though I am fully compliant like a good lad.

On Mother's Day of 2018-my parents and I went to "The Madres" theater production at the Victory Gardens Theater. Not only was the play phenomenal; but the theater was a fun and lively place.

The Red Carpet-
Arriving early and waiting around the bar/coffee area you can take a free picture on the Victory Gardens Red Carpet Area and email it to yourself! Everyone in the area was excited about this-including myself and my parents.

The Theater and Seating-
Seating is general admission-however; all of the seats were comfortably padded for a two hour play and elevated so that everyone had an equal and a clear view of the stage and actors.

The Play-
"The Madres" or "The Mothers" was written by local playwriter Stephanie Alison Walker who grew up in Argentina during what is considered "The Dirty War" and it was the mothers of the Plaza de Mayo that marched (and still march today) in front of the Casa Rosada (President's Residence) in Buenos Aires. Having lived with a family in Buenos Aires and studied Spanish at a Language School I learned a great deal about Argentine culture and history. What was wonderful about this play was that it was told from an individual family's perspective within the walls of their home. I highly encourage EVERYONE to see this play.

The Playwrite's Perspective-
"When a friend invited me to go with her to the Plaza de Mayo and march with las Madres one Thursday afternoon in 1998. I hadn't known much about Las Madres, los desaparecidos or the dictatorship before then even though I spent time in Argentina throughout my childhood and even though I have Argentine relatives and even though I was a Spanish major in college and even though the first time I was in Buenos Aires when I was 5 was during the dictatorship. I still didn't know. So, I started researching and continued to read about this very painful period in Argentine history over the years. I was inspired by these women-- the first to stand up and call out the dictatorship at great risk. They used their voices to bring the world's attention to what was happening in Argentina and they never gave up. It's a complicated period and one that the world should know about. I am a character-driven storyteller and as such, this play is about the characters more than it is a "history play." It's a play about a family set in a specific moment in history."
Source: http://stephaniealisonwalker.com

FYI-If you visit Buenos Aires go to the Plaza de Mayo Mother's Cafe. it supports the cause and also the empanadas are amazing!
See:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-revolucionario-bar-buenos-aires

https://buenosairesconnect.com/el-revolucionario-cafe-madres-plaza-mayo-centro/

For Fun: After the play we went a few doors down from the Theater to Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant-while waiting for our food-some of the cast from the play arrived for dinner and were seated next us. One of whom was "The Father" or priest who provided an emotional and exceptional appearance in the play (standing ovation-not kidding)-my Dad went over and said "Father-what a great performance!" and we all smiled!

This is one of my favorite Equity theatre spaces in Chicago. It's a small, friendly atmosphere. The shows and programming practice what they preach- many are free and directly reflect VG's mission of producing new work and cultivating an inclusive theatre community.

VG is a consistent leader in shaping Chicago's theatrical culture and mediating dialogue that offers insight, empathy, and growth. They also often host fellow companies in their upstairs theatre that share their values. The staff is so friendly and accommodating. VG also offers numerous opportunities for discount tickets. YAAAAS. #brokemillenialartist

If there were a billion stars, I'd give them to VG.

I came to the theatre for a private benefit. The stage is intimate and house seats comfortable. There is not a bad seat in the house. The overall theatre is good and depends on the performance.

Drinks- expensive and missing limes. What's w a bar that doesn't have lime? It is the reason for -1 star. Come on. The drinks were pricey and asking for a vodka soda w lime is NOT a big ask.

Limes please.

We saw Indecent on closing weekend and it was really well done. The set was expertly designed and the transitions were executed seamlessly. The cast was amazing and took on the various dialects well. We did get confused a few times by the actors switching to different characters but it didn't take away from the overall story.

We also enjoyed the photoshoot setup and step and repeat backdrop in the lobby. Every staff member we encountered from box office to usher to bar was attentive and genial.

We look forward to returning for another production soon!

I've come here a few times and this time came to see culture clash. Was very good, the place was not full and it was worth it. The place is clean and the bar on the first floor offers many options of drinks. Valet parking offered is for 13 bucks and easy to pickup your tickets. Will come again

While we were fortunate enough to sit on the second row of the center section, I suspect there is not a bad seat in the place. The theatre has 200-300 seats which affords everyone a good view of the stage without the need for binoculars. The sound system and acoustics are also great.

Street parking in the area can be challenging so it is best use the theatre's valet parking option.

Overall, I was really impressed by this theatre and look forward to returning.

This place is absolutely amazing!! I had never been here and went to a show during Theater Week in Chicago. A Wonder in my Soul was phenomenal! The actresses and actors were awesome! They had a post show discussion that was powerful and moving. I can't wait to go here again!