Buy tickets for So Now, What?
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Meet the cast & crew for So Now, What?
The Evanston 2nd Act Players will be returning to on-stage, in-person performances this fall with a world premiere of a new play, So Now, What? Stage veteran Edward Voci, who has performed with the Lyric Opera and sits on the board of the Oak Park Festival Theatre, will star as Frankie. 2nd Act Players’ […]
Read MoreFrank play “I’ll Take This One, Brother” gets online reading Monday, July 17
2nd Act Players’ cofounder John N. Frank’s new 10-minute play, I’ll Take This One Brother, will have a free online reading Monday, July 17 at 6 p.m. central time. To see it, simply click here that evening. The reading is being done by Just Write, Lakeland, a place for writers of stage and screen to […]
Read More2nd Act Players begin fund-raising campaign, please help today
The Evanston 2nd Act Players need your help to return to the stage this November. “We plan to pay actors more than we have in the past. We also need to hire a production manager for the first time because frankly I’m getting too old to do all the physical labor involved in putting on […]
Read More2nd Act Players’ Alum are lighting up Chicago-area stages in 2022
While the 2nd Act Players stage remains dark because of Covid concerns, actors with whom we have been fortunate to work in the past are lighting up stages across the Chicago-land area and the country with powerful performances. Most recently, Violet Sky Productions announced Debra Rodkin will be in the cast for its production of […]
Read More2nd Act Players WebSite See Record Traffic in 2021
The 2nd Act Players’ website racked up a record 14,522 views in 2021, fitting for a year when all it’s productions were done solely online. More than 6,700 individuals visited the site over the course of the year in which the 2nd Act Players produced the award-winning play What Good Did we See Today as […]
Read MoreHow to vote most effectively for 2nd Act Players’ BroadwayWorld Chicago Nominees
Winners of BroadwayWorld 2021 Chicago regional awards are being selected by popular vote on BroadwayWorld.com. So sadly, several 2nd Act Players’ nominees are competing with each other in various categories (and with themselves in the Best Streaming Direction and Best Streaming Play categories). To make your vote count the most here are some suggestions for […]
Read MoreI am very weary today
Many years ago, my dad was touched by a song with the lyrics: Like an old dusty road I get weary from the load He told me someday I’d understand why that song spoke to him as he grew older. Today is one of those days. After eight and a half years of trying to […]
Read MoreReserve a Viewing Spot for Black Flag, July 14,15
Admission to online showings of Idris Goodwin’s Black Flag are free but donations are strongly encouraged. Approximately 80% of all donations will go to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, at the playwright’s request. All showings will begin at 7 p.m. central time and last approximately 20 minutes. To register for July 14, or July 15, click […]
Read MorePlaywright Idris Goodwin has creative roots in Chicago
Black Flag author Idris Goodwin has deep creative roots in Chicago and the Midwest. Born in Detroit, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in film, video and screenwriting at Colombia College Chicago. He then went on to get a master’s degree in creative writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He […]
Read More2nd Act Players commission new play, “The Roaring 2020s” for post-pandemic return to the stage
The 2nd Act Players has commissioned award-winning playwright John Mabey to write a new two-act comedy about post-pandemic life. Tentatively titled The Roaring 2020s, the play will follow the lives of a family — a father, mother, grandmother, adult daughter, adult son and his boyfriend, trying to figure out what is “normal” in the days […]
Read More2nd Act Players to Present ‘Black Flag’ by award-winning playwright Idris Goodwin
The Evanston 2nd Act Players is honored to be partnering with award-winning Black Playwright Idris Goodwin this summer to stream Black Flag, one of five short plays in Goodwin’s Open Source Scripts for an Antiracist Tomorrow. A special streaming presentation of the film will take place July 1, 7 p.m. central time, as part of […]
Read MoreBuy tickets here
Just click here to buy tickets to watch Pandemic Stories, 7 plays about life, love and loss in the time of Covid-19 on-demand via our YouTube channel. The minimum suggested donation for viewing is $15 but we gladly accept more.
Read MoreMeet playwright Rex McGregor, come see his play online
Rex McGregor’s play, The Birds are Feeding Me looks at rising tensions in a condo building as the Covid-19 lockdown goes on. Its characters search for solace in nature, except for one resident who is finding nature a bit too natural for his liking. Here, Rex discusses his play, his writing career and his vision […]
Read MoreWhat are our Pandemic Stories? Watch previews here
The 2nd Act Players will be streaming seven short plays that make up its Pandemic Stories on April 23, 24, 25, 30, and May 1 and May 2. The stories are short plays that address issues we’ve all been dealing with during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are relatable, emotional, sometimes funny, sometimes sad looks at […]
Read MoreMeet Manny Schenk, see him in “Pandemic Stories” April 23-May 2
Manny Schenk last appeared with the 2nd Act Players in Moving Boxes, a play about caring for an aging parent while trying to rebuild a broken family. Manny also has a long association with the James Downing Theater in the Edison Park section of Chicago. Here, he discusses the challenges of acting online, the choices […]
Read MoreRead about “What Good Did We See Today?” & its playwright
Cathrine Goldstein’s play, What Good Did We See Today?, is a very poignant look at the struggles a father and daughter face during the pandemic as his memory slips away and she strives desperately to help him. Goldstein is an award-winning playwright, and a bestselling author of gritty, real-feeling plays, novels, short stories, and poems. […]
Read MoreRead about “to The Zoom and Back” & its playwright
Cindi Sansone-Braff’s play, To the Zoom and Back, looks at a senior couple’s attempt to try to connect through online dating in the age of Covid. Sansone-Braff is a member of the Dramatist Guild, has a B.F.A. in theatre from UCONN, and is a playwright, author, actor, dancer, producer, director, and the co-founder of Tomorrow’s […]
Read MoreMeet actor Valerie Gorman, see her in Pandemic Stories
Valerie Gorman last appeared with the 2nd Act Players in its 2019 production of Old Ringers, the last play we did on-stage prior to the pandemic. In Pandemic Stories, she plays a woman trying online dating for the first time in To The Zoom and Back, a West Texas lunch lady in the play Lunch […]
Read MoreRead about “Second Act, Second Helpings” & its playwright
John Mabey’s play Second Acts, Second Helpings, looks at a couple’s actions and attitudes toward life after the pandemic has finally subsided. Mabey’s plays have been published and produced across the United States and Europe, and this year his work is included in Smith & Kraus Best 10-Minute Plays and Smith & Kraus Best Women’s Monologues. In […]
Read MoreMeet Actor Nick Dorado, Come See Him in Pandemic Stories
Actor Nick Dorado made his 2nd Act Players’ debut online last fall in our 60 is the New 40 Play Festival, playing a variety of characters in several short plays. He’ll be returning to our virtual stage this spring in two plays, [Brackets], in which he plays a curmudgeonly editor dealing with the losses Covid […]
Read MoreRead about “Love in the Time of Covid-19” & its playwright
Germaine Shames’ play, Love in the Time of Covid-19, is a humorous look at what happens to a couple cooped up in an efficiency apartment because of the pandemic. Shames is a Kilroys List playwright and recipient of her state’s Literary Fellowship in Fiction, is author of the award-winning novels, Between Two Deserts and You, […]
Read MoreMeet playwright Craig Gustafson, read about his play
Craig Gustafson’s play [Brackets] deals with a suburban newspaper editor and his daughter facing some of the worst that the pandemic has to offer, while debating old habits that might not be relevant any longer Graid Gustafson Gustafosn’s plays have been performed locally at Chicago’s Yippiefest, GreenMan Theatre Troupe, Wheaton Drama and Riverfront Playhouse, which […]
Read MoreMeet playwright Donna Latham, read about her play
Donna Latham’s play Lunch Lady was written as a monologue for one actor, but with her agreement, we’ve modified it slightly to include three lunch ladies, all dealing with the challenges of working during the Pandemic. Latham is a feminist playwright from Chicago whose plays have been produced coast to coast and around the world. […]
Read MoreSee our shows, talk with our playwrights, April 23-May 2
Seven award-winning playwrights will chat live with our audiences during the 2nd Act Players’ spring production, Pandemic Stories, 7 short plays about love, life and loss which will stream online from April 23 through May 2. Advance ticket sales have begun, to purchase tickets, simply click here. The playwrights are the winners of the 2nd […]
Read More2nd Act Players to Showcase Play by Award-winning Black Playwright Idris Goodwin
The Evanston 2nd Act Players is honored to be partnering with award-winning Black Playwright Idris Goodwin this summer to stream Black Flag, a short play that is one of five in Goodwin’s Open Source Scripts for an Antiracist Tomorrow. “TYA/USA [Theatre for Young Audiences USA], New York’s New Victory Theatre and I collaborated to provide […]
Read MoreCast Announced for “Pandemic Stories: 7 plays about love, life and loss”
The Evanston 2nd Act Players will feature an all-star cast of actors who have appeared in past 2nd Act Players productions for its spring 2021 show, Pandemic Stories: 7 plays about love, life and loss.” The cast includes: Nick Dorado – Nick was most recently seen in the 2nd Act Players fall, 2020 online production, […]
Read MoreMeet the authors of 2nd Act Players’ Spring Festival 10-minute Plays
The winners of the 2nd Act Players spring new script competition, 2021 isn’t 2020, or is it? include award-winning playwrights, returning 2nd Act Players’ competition winners, and the first winner of a 2nd Act Players’ new script competition who resides outside the United States. Both Craig Gustafson and John Mabey had scripts performed by the […]
Read More2nd Act Players plan March online Fundraiser — Blingo for everyone
The Evanston 2nd Act Players plans a March online fundraiser entitled Broadway Blingo. Participants will play online bingo for jewelry prizes and hear about jewelry they can purchase, with a portion of proceeds being donated to the 2nd Act Players. “We’re adapting to life online during the pandemic,” says 2nd Act Players’ cofounder John N. […]
Read More2nd Act Players receive more than 100 entries for 2021 script competition
More than 100 entries have poured in for the 2nd Act Players’ 2021 Script Competition with two weeks to go until the final entry deadline. This makrs the fifth year the 2nd Act Players have put out a call for new scripts and will likely be the year that sets a record for most entries. […]
Read More2nd Act Players’ Cofounder named to Marquis’ Who’s Who
2nd Act Players Cofounder John N. Frank has been named a 2020 top executive by Marquis’ Who’s Who in recognition of his work in starting the 2nd Act Players, and in keeping the theater alive in these times of Covid-19 which has devastated the theater business. Frank’s long-time first career as a journalist also is […]
Read MoreThe Evanston 2nd Act Players stand with Northminster Presbyterian Church
The Evanston 2nd Act Players has been blessed with a theater home at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Northwest Evanston for the past four years. We have always found the members of the church to be open, inviting and progressive, showing concern for all those around them and throughout the area. So we were saddened in […]
Read Morewatch “60 is the New 40′ Plays on-demand
Audience reaction to our recent 60 is the New 40 Play Festival was so positive we’ve decided to make the plays available for on-demand viewing through Jan. 31, 2021. So if you missed our shows in November, you can still see thier brillant short plays about poeple redefining themselves in their Golden Years. Audiences raved […]
Read MoreCan I buy tickets for friends? Not exactly. E-mail me to do it.
The 2nd Act Players is using an online platform called Crowdcast to stream its 60 is the new 40 Play Festival. Crowdcast was created for business meetings, so registration is fairly straight-forward, a person goes to an event page and registers, paying the fee specified. Some of our ticket buyers last week wanted to buy […]
Read MoreHere’s what you’ll see this Friday or Saturday
Four short plays about characters redefining themselves in their Golden Years. The Sensational SistersBy John MabeyTwo superhero sisters face the challenges of early retirement. Spot the CamelCraig GustafsonA husband and wife fret about Alzheimer’s and aging with a surprise twist. In Her Golden YearsSteven KorbarA daughter learns a long-held secret of her mother’s and sees […]
Read Moremeet bev Coscarelli, come enjoy her on our virtual stage
Bev Coscarelli joins the 2nd Act Players ensemble for the first time in our 60 is the New 40 Play Festival, acting in two plays that present quite the acting challenges for her. Come see Bev along with five other cast members, online Nov. 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7 p.m. For details, check out […]
Read MoreMeet Sheena laird, come see her act in two plays
Sheena Laird joins the 2nd Act Players for our 60 is the New 40 Play Festival, playing two characters in two different short plays. Come see Sheena along with five other cast members, online Nov. 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7 p.m. For details, check out our 60 is the New 40 Festival page. For tickets, click here. […]
Read Moremeet nick dorado, come see him act online
Nick Dorado is new to the 2nd Act Players’ virtual stage and will be taking on the challenge of playing characters in four different plays over two weekends. Come see Nick along with five other cast members, online Nov. 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7 p.m. For details, check out our 60 is the New 40 […]
Read MoreHear about our “60 is the New 40” plays on WCGO’s Playtime, Sunday, 1:45 pm
2nd Act Players Cofounders John Frank and Carolyn Calzavara will be discussing their 60 is the New 40 Play Festival this Sunday, Nov. 8 on Playtime with Bill Turck and Kerri Kendall on WCGO radio. You can hear the show on WCGO 1590 AM, 95.9 FM and online athttp://www.wcgoradio.com The 2nd Act Players are scheduled […]
Read MoreMeet Matt Schufrieder, come see him act online
Matt Schufrieder is making his 2nd Act Players debut with our 60 is the new 40 Play Festival, Matt has roles in teo of our short plays and will definitely show his acting range. In one, he plays an aspiring Broadway composer while in the other, he plays a high school senior anxious to conquer […]
Read Moremeet deb rodkin, come see her act online
Deb Rodkin is a veteran of the 2nd Act Players stage, having acted in two of our previous productions, including our 2019 hit Old Ringers.. She’ll be playing multiple characters in three of the eight short plays that make up our 60 is the New 40 Play Festival this month. Come see Deb along with […]
Read MoreMeet Liz Lauren, Come sEE Her act online
Liz Lauren is a veteran of the 2nd Act Players stage, having acted in two of our previous productions. She’ll be playing multiple characters in four of the eight short plays that make up our 60 is the New 40 Play Festival this month. Come see Liz along with five other cast members, online Nov. […]
Read Moremeet ian Patrick Williams & normal schnormal
Ian Patrick Williams won the Chicago Emmy award for acting in and co-authoring the teleplay Bleacher Bums for PBS-TV; the script was later produced as a TV movie by Showtime. His one-act play Provenance was produced last year at Ensemble Studio Theater in L.A. Here, he talks about his 2nd Act Players’ festival award-winning play, Normal Shnormal, and his expectations […]
Read Moremeet mark contorno and read about Egil Foss
Mark Contorno (playwright, composer and lyricist) is a native of Chicago, who has also lived in New York and Los Angeles. He has written numerous plays and musicals some of which were produced in Chicago as well as New York and Charleston, South Carolina. Come see us perform Mark’s play, Egil Foss and His Left Hand, […]
Read Moremeet craig gustafson & read about ‘spot the camel’
Craig Gustafson has been writing 10-minute plays for the past two years. His Lending a Hand has been published in Best Ten Minute Plays of 2019 and Save Me, Myron Glick! will be published in The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2021. Here. Craig shares with us his thoughts on his festival play, Spot the Camel, and on the future of theater during and after […]
Read Moremeet steven korbar and read about his play, in her golden years
Steven Korbar’s full-length and one-act plays have been produced throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. His short plays, Table for Four, Mrs. Jansen Isn’t Here Now and What are You Going to Be? have all been published in Smith and Kraus’ Best Short Plays series. Come see us perform Steven’s play, In […]
Read Moremeet ken preuss and read about his play
Ken Preuss is a Florida-based playwright, performer and teacher. His one-acts for teens and assorted short plays have been produced in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and 48 of 50 States. Come see us perform Ken’s play, The Elusive Pursuit of Maximum Bliss, along with seven other […]
Read Moremeet Elizabeth DeSchryver and read about her play Symphony
Elizabeth DeSchryver is a published poet and short story writer as well as a playwright. Her short plays have been performed at Chicago Dramatists, Cold Basement Dramatics, and 2nd Act Players. Now that she is retired, she is looking forward to writing more. Come see us perform Beth’s play, Symphony, along with seven other short […]
Read MoreMeet robin baron, author of “About Time”
Robin Baron’s produced plays include: Mother’s Day, Seoul Players, Seoul, Korea (2019); Gus, Otherworld Theatre, Chicago, IL (2019); About Time, 4th Street Theater, Chesterton, IN (2019); Bruce, Funhouse IV, Seattle, WA (2018); and Downsizing, Stage Left, Spokane, WA (2018). Robin’s plays have been part of Page to Stage at The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. (2014-2019). […]
Read MoreMeet John Mabey, author of “the Sensational Sisters”
John Mabey started his career as a mental health counselor and infuses everything he’s learned about relationships and emotions into his characters. His work has been produced in Los Angeles and New York as well as overseas in Amsterdam. Here, he gives an overview of his play and looks ahead to theater in the post-covid […]
Read MoreMeet the Cast of “60 is the New 40”
Two returning 2nd Act Players are joined by four newcomers to our virtual stage in the 2nd Act Players November online 60 is the New 40 Short-Play Festival. Deb Rodkin acted with the 2nd Act Players in 2019 in Old Ringers and also was in the cast for its 2019 Women’s Empowerment One-Act Play Festival. […]
Read More2nd Act Players Donates $950 to NAACP Legal Defense Fund
We wanted to do more than just issue another statement after the death of George Floyd and subsequent demonstrations across America, we wanted to do something tangible to help.
Read More2nd Act Players to stream socially relevant plays by Southside Chicago author
The 2nd Act Players will present its first online production the evenings of July 24th and 25th entitled More Rivers Will I to Cross — A look at twin pandemics – Racism & Covid-19. The streaming presentation will feature two short plays by Chicago playwright Andre Richardson Hogan II, Raisin Puffs and Line of Duties. […]
Read MoreEvanston 2nd Act Players return to the stage this November
The Evanston 2nd Act Players will be returning to on-stage, in-person performances this fall with a world premiere of a new play, So Now, What? The show will be produced at Evanston’s Northminster Presbyterian Church, where the 2nd Act Players have been in residence since 2017. Performance dates are Nov. 10, 11 at 7 p.m., […]
Read More2nd Act Players take next step with plans for a November return to the stage
2nd Act Players’ actors will assemble Saturday, July 22 for what’s known as a table read of the new two-act version of Talking with My Dad. The Players hope to do a full stage production of the play, written by cofounder John N. Frank, this November in their pre-Covid home of Northminster Presbyterian Church. “Talking […]
Read More2nd Act Players Hope to Return in November
The Evanston 2nd Act Players, which did it’s last show online in mid-2021, is hoping to return to a live stage this November with performances of a new, two-act version of the poignant drama Talking with My Dad. Written by 2nd Act Co-founder John N. Frank, Talking with My Dad centers around a man awaiting […]
Read More2nd ACT ALUM ACTING ACROSS CHICAGOLAND
2nd Act Players alum continue to make their marks on stages across the Chicago area in early 2023. Valerie Gorman is appearing in The Legend of Georgia McBride at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights through March 4. Debra Rodkin is appearing in Driving Miss Daisy at the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center in Cicero […]
Read More2ND ACT PLAYERS’ FOUNDER
JOHN FRANK IN TWO UPCOMING SHOWS
John N. Frank, co-founder of the 2nd Act Players, will be portraying the local habadasher in the 1950s’ classic Inherit the Wind at Deerfield’s Theater D this April. Frank also has been cast as the dean of the Sanford Medical School in the Oakton College February staged reading of Let Me Down Easy, a contemporary […]
Read More2nd Act Players’ founder John Frank to play Einstein
John N. Frank, co-founder of the 2nd Act Players, will be portraying an elderly Albert Einstein in a planned stage reading of a new play, Einstein’s Compass produced by Chicago’s Royal James Theater. The reading will take place Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. in The Merion, an Evanston senior-living residence. The part represents Frank’s […]
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