Twenty years ago, actor Cherry Jones gave an interview to the industry trade Backstage, where she called out one of the problems facing those hoping to make acting their profession.
Bullard notes that, due to COVID, this past year was the first time that the Theatre School didn’t have an incoming class of MFA candidates in the acting program. “The reason was not many people would choose a year of remote training for their first year,” he says. That meant that there was a window of opportunity to reconfigure what classes should be included in the new two-year program. “We only had to remove nine courses,” he points out.
At the end of this month, Dr. Marcus Robinson, the current executive director of Collaboraction, will step away from that role to become the new codirector of Enrich Chicago (alongside Nina D. Sánchez), the nonprofit dedicated to antiracism work in Chicago’s cultural sector. Robinson’s time at Collaboraction dovetailed with the company’s transition into a theater expressly dedicated to social change and justice, and he helped foster new programs, such as the Peacebook Festival, which packed houses at Collaboraction’s home at Kennedy-King College—one they chose after moving out of Wicker Park’s Flatiron Building. A search is underway for his replacement. Meantime, the company hosts a party with live performances, food, and drinks celebrating its 25th anniversary, Moonset Sunrise, on Thursday, June 24, 6-10 PM at Rockwell on the River. Tickets are $150, but less if you sign up as a “CollaborActivist” member at $25 per month. (COVID-19 protocols are in place.) You can also stream for practically free by signing up as a member at just $1 per month at collaboraction.org.
