2nd act players’ production named best streaming play

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 […]

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Pandemic Stories Gets Rave Review; Watch it On-demand Now

The 2nd Act Players spring online production, Pandemic Stories, 7 short plays about life, love and loss in the age of Covid-19, received a three-star review from the website AroundtheTownChicago.com. “From funerals and final messages to the repercussions of the stay-at-home orders, this timely show is an intimate take on the effects of current events […]

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COME FOR THE SHOW, STAY FOR THE DISCUSSION

EACH OF OUR PERFORMANCES THIS WEEKEND AND NEXT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY AN ONLINE DISCUSSION WITH A PLAYWRIGHT AND MEMBERS OF OUR CAST. STAY ONLINE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GET A REAL BEHIND-THE=SCENE LOOK AT HOW ONLINE THEATER IS CREATED. HERE’S THIS WEEKEND’S LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS:                   […]

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Preview our ‘Pandemic Stories’ here, then buy tickets for April 23-May 2

Wondering if you want to see the 2nd Act Players spring production, Pandemic Stories — seven short plays about life, love and loss in the age of Covid? Let us help you decide. Here are clips from the three dramas included in the Pandemic Stories. We’ve also posted previews from our four comedies, you can […]

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Meet 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 […]

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What 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 […]

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Meet 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 […]

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Read 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 […]

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Read 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 […]

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Read 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, […]

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