The Gift Theatre's KENTUCKY Will Extend Through November

Due to popular demand, The Gift Theatre announced they are adding four additional performances of its hit dark comedy KENTUCKY, extending through Saturday, November 23, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets for all performances are available at theaterwit.org, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office.

Written by Leah Nanako Winkler and directed by ensemble member Chika Ike*, KENTUCKY features ensemble members Paul D'Addario*, Martel Manning* and Hannah Toriumi* with Maryam Abdi, Ian Voltaire Deanes, Kim Fukawa (11/17 - 11/23), Emjoy Gavino, Helen Joo Lee (through 11/16), Michael E. Martin, Emilie Modaff, Ana Silva and Jess Vann.

Two Sisters, Eccentric Parents, A Chatty Cat, And A Born-Again Wedding... What Could Go Wrong?

Hiro is a self-made single, almost 30 woman making it in New York while estranged from her dysfunctional family who lives in Kentucky. When her sister, a born-again Christian, decides to marry at 22, Hiro decides to do whatever she can to stop the wedding and salvage her sister's future. The themes of identity, religion and love collide in this unique coming-of-age story.

"You can't go home again - but sometimes you have to. Kentucky explores the ways in which we try to escape our past and what happens when confronted by it, particularly in the bizarre and stressful setting of a wedding," comment The Gift Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton* and Associate Artistic Directors Emjoy Gavino and Paul D'Addario*. "Playwright Leah Nanako Winkler explodes stereotypes (Southerners, born again Christians, the immigrant parent, the prodigal daughter), endowing each character with growing shades of humanity. The idea of a female Asian protagonist in a decidedly American setting, in a show that is not about race is somewhat of a revolution in American theatre. That she does it through searing humor, music and movement is what makes Leah an incredibly exciting voice in American Theatre."

The production team to date includes Ryan Emens (scenic design), Rachel Sypniewski (costume design), Rachel Levy (lighting design), Aaron Stephenson (sound design), Tessa Keller (props design, scenic painter), Emilie Modaff (music director), Jess Vann (choreographer), Gaby Labotka (intimacy and violence chorographer), Dwight Sora (dialect coach), Sarah Luse (production manager), David Preis (technical director), Lena Aubrey (master electrician) and Alex Oparka (stage manager).

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