Two plays written by 2nd Act Players’ founder John N. Frank will be performed by two other theater groups online this June and July. The plays were originally performed by the 2nd Act Players in 2017 and 2018. A theater group called Play Readings with Friends will read Frank’s New Year’s Eve at Grandma’s House […]
Read More
The 2nd Act Players’ 2021 online production of Cathrine Goldstein’s What Good Did We See Today was named Best Streaming Play for the Chicago region by BroadwayWorld.com. Congratulations to Goldstein and to cast members Brandy Miller and Manny Schenk, both veterans of other 2nd Act Players productions. 2nd Act Players’ Cofounder John N. Frank directed the […]
Read MoreWinners 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 More
The Evanston 2nd Act Players received an unprecedented 13 nominations for BroadwayWorld’s 2021 Chicago Regional Theater Awards. Winners are being selected by popular vote, so vote today for your 2nd Act Players’ favorites. To vote, simply click here. BroadwayWorld Regional Awards are the largest theatre audience awards, with over 100 cities worldwide participating. Nominations were […]
Read More
The Evanston 2nd Act Players will be suspending operations for the remainder of 2021. This follows what for us was a devastating development last week – the church where we have performed since 2016 said we cannot do any in-person shows there this winter. Rather than have any activities in its theater area this year, […]
Read More
“Aptly named, “Black Flag” has to do with America’s Original Sin of slavery and the terrible schism that this has created over the decades through the present-day ..The story alludes to today’s deep cultural clashes and the struggle for ideology.” Julia W. Rath Aroundthetownchicago.com July, 2021 The 2nd Act Players decided to stream Idris […]
Read MoreThe 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 MoreThe 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 MoreManny 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 MoreCindi 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 More