Special Events

SPECIAL EVENTS

Guests of Victory Gardens Theater’s Special Events enjoy quite unique, highly theatrical evenings while knowing their participation directly supports the Theater’s artistic, educational and community engagement programs. We invite you to join us at our one-of-a-kind events during the 2007-2008 season:

THE 18^th ANNUAL CHICAGO STORIES BENEFIT: Friday, May 9, 2008

The 18^th annual Chicago Stories benefit is perfectly tailored to both Victory Gardens Theater’s dedication to the playwright and to its mission of producing new works. Three celebrities with Chicago connections are invited to write 10-minute plays on subjects of their choice. These plays are cast with professional actors and directed by Victory Gardens Theater’s Artistic Director Dennis Zacek. These unique world premiere productions are performed as part of a gala evening with 500 VIP guests, which includes wonderful live and silent auctions and a gourmet three-course dinner in the Four Seasons’ Grand Ballroom.

THE 26^th CASTING AUCTION BENEFIT: Friday, November 9, 2007
The Pajama Game PERFORMANCES: Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16, 2008

An enthusiastic group of Victory Gardens subscribers, patrons and supporters bid their way to play the colorful, singing-and-dancing employees of the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory in the musical theater classic The Pajama Game! More than 50 lead, supporting, chorus, cameo and children’s roles were sold to the highest bidders during one of Chicago’s most unique auctions. It’s a one-of-a-kind fundraising event! No experience – or talent! – necessary: just the itch to be on stage and the desire to support Victory Gardens Theater. The winners of each role made up the cast and played their parts in fully staged performances, February 15 – 16, 2008, under the direction of Artistic Director Dennis Začek. This year's Casting Auction raised nearly $60,000 in support of VGT's artistic, educational, and community engagement programs.

Cultural Tour to Ashland, Oregon: July 16 – 20, 2008

Victory Gardens Theater has an exciting new trip lined up to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in beautiful Ashland, where the cool mountain air averages a delightful 70° F!

Travelers with the tour will be staying in Ashland’s “Bard’s Inn” where you’ll enjoy easy access to all of the performance venues. Our travel group, Insider Cultural Tours, will greet us on the first evening with a delicious meal, prepared by Executive Chef, Damon Jones in the luxurious Ashland Springs Hotel. The trip will be led by Victory Gardens Associate Artistic Director Sandy Shinner.

Victory Gardens Theater Trips travelers will enjoy access to the following Festival plays, the American classic “Our Town” in a lush outdoor setting, the delightful merriment of “The Comedy of Errors,” a muscular interpretation of “Othello” by Lisa Peterson, and a 2000 year old East Indian classic “The Clay Cart,” directed by new Artistic Director, Bill Rauch. An optional matinee of Luis Alfaro’s delightful comedy, “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner,” will be available. Additionally, travelers will enjoy a wine-tasting at award-wining wineries in the Applegate Valley, complete with a gourmet boxed lunch and professional guide; a tour of Gold Rush town Jacksonville (National Historic Landmark); and a shopping stop at the famous Harry & David’s.

This trip to one of the nation’s oldest and largest professional, non-profit theatre festivals will be priced at $ 2,195 per person, based on double occupancy, with a single supplement of $310. The price includes airfare, 4 nights at the Bard’s Inn, roundtrip transportation from and to the Medford airport, tickets to all plays, a professional reading of new play (about AIDS in Africa), a welcome dinner, farewell cocktail reception, preface to “Our Town,” guest speaker and backstage tour, as well as a donation to Victory Gardens Theater. A land only price is available for $1,495.

If you’re interested in traveling to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival or being added to the mailing list for all of Victory Gardens Theater Tours, please contact, Chris Biddle at 773-328-2130 or by email at cbiddle@victorygardens.org

The deadline for registration for this trip is June 1, 2008

LONDON THEATER TOUR: December 27, 2007 – January 3, 2008

Join us for a New Year’s Eve to remember! Stay for seven nights at the five-star Le Meridian in Picadilly Circus, London. This trip includes a gala New Year’s Eve Party, as well as at least five performances in London’s West End chosen by Artistic Director Dennis Začek. Have private discussions with some of London’s top theater professionals, including London Guardian theater critic, Michael Billington, and post-play discussions lead by Dennis Začek.

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