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Aurora's Paramount Theatre will present a free virtual reading of Pretended, a new play about a Haitian adoptee in search of truth and identity, written and directed by Chicago actor, playwright and director Lanise Antoine Shelley, Thursday, JANUARY 14, at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are free but reservations are required. Reserve online at ParamountAurora.com/Inception-Project.
Pretended is the first new work to be developed via Paramount's new Inception Project, a new works development initiative designed to support and amplify BIPOC and marginalized voices while creating artist driven, courageous, thought provoking new work in a radically inclusive environment.
Pretended is a dramatic comedy in which writer/director Shelley draws from her own life experience as a Haitian adoptee raised by a single white mother to dissect and debunk misconceptions around adoption and move audiences to a place of racial healing. Shelley achieves this with her story about Elly, an intercultural adoptee who finds herself pregnant and moving to Seattle to gain familial support. As told from the rare lens of an adoptee's perspective, Elly, and the audience, are confronted with the definition of family and how we cannot always choose the route in which we love someone.
Starting this week, Paramount's New Works Department is coordinating eight days of online rehearsals via Zoom. The cast includes Aneisa J. Hicks (Elly), Erik Hellman (Sean), Garrett Young (Clayton), Caron Buinis (Vicky) and Mildred Marie Langford (Juliana and Soo). The final reading will be recorded and presented on JANUARY 14th as a free virtual event for Paramount subscribers, supporters, residents of the local community and the state of Illinois, and all theater professionals interested in new work.
The reading is followed by a live, interactive discussion in which Shelley and a panel of outside experts will reflect on the play and respond to audience questions. Panelists include Dr. Juliana Deans, a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy and an interracial adoptee who has reunified with biological family members; Melissa Guida-Richards, an adoptee, podcaster and author of the forthcoming book "What White People Should Know about Transracial Adoption"; Dr. Charmaine Borda, an Afro-Caribbean immigrant from Jamaica who survived abuse in and out of the foster care system; and Douglas Brown, whose family adopted three biological sisters from Perú eleven years ago.
News About Pretended at Paramount Theatre
The House Theatre Of Chicago Announces New Artistic Director Lanise Antoine Shelley
March 03, 2021The House Theatre of Chicago today announced the appointment of its new Artistic Director, Lanise Antoine Shelley. Shelley is a multi-hyphenate Haitian artist, director, playwright, educator, visual artist and accomplished actress who has performed with some of the country's most prestigious companies.
Paramount Theatre to Present Free Virtual Reading of PRETENDED by Lanise Antoine Shelley
January 08, 2021Aurora’s Paramount Theatre will present a free virtual reading of Pretended, a new play about a Haitian adoptee in search of truth and identity, written and directed by Chicago actor, playwright and director Lanise Antoine Shelley, Thursday, January 14, at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are free but reservations are required.
Healing Illinois Grant Supports Launch Of Paramount Theatre's The Inception Project
December 17, 2020Paramount Theatre in Aurora will launch next month The Inception Project, a new play development initiative designed to create artist driven, courageous, thought provoking new work in a radically inclusive environment.
Paramount Theatre Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Paramount Theatre is at 8 E. Galena Blvd Suite 230, Rutland, VT.
Paramount continues to provide world-class entertainment—including dance, music, Broadway-caliber theatre, and children’s programming—for an annual audience of 350,000 patrons from over 250 communities. Over 40,000 of those patrons are proud to be Paramount Broadway Series subscribers. In addition, we’ve expanded operations with the recently-opened Paramount School of the Arts and are currently in the process of renovating Copley Theatre for our upcoming Bold Series, a provocative new theater adventure. At our sister venue, RiverEdge Park, we welcome well over 100,000 patrons each summer to enjoy some of the best artists in live music, including KISS, Steve Miller Band and much more. Paramount also hosts free community events, $1 Classic Movie Mondays and its opulent interiors provide a spectacular backdrop for private functions such as wedding receptions or corporate galas.
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