CHICAGO ( March 25, 2020 ) — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Raven Theatre today announced it will postpone its upcoming world premiere of Mat Smart's Eden Prairie, 1971, directed by Henry Wishcamper, originally scheduled for May 7 — June 21, 2020 on Raven's 85-seat East Stage, 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago. New dates will be announced shortly.
Raven Theatre Artistic Director Cody Estle issued the following statement:
Raven Theatre is committed to doing all that we can to help stop the spread of COVID-19. In order to protect the health and safety of our patrons, artists, staff and community, we have decided to postpone the world premiere of Mat Smart's Eden Prairie, 1971, which was set to begin performances on May 7, 2020.
We look forward to sharing this touching play with you at a later date, to be determined as events related to the virus unfold. Many of you already have tickets to this production and we respectfully request that you wait to make changes to your reservations until we finalize our new performance schedule. At that time, we will reach out to all ticket holders directly with new ticket options.
Artists are usually found at Raven an average of six days per week, 12 months per year, working to bring our programs to life. With our gears ground to a halt — and no art to share — donations are the only way we can pay the bills right now. Your donor dollars give us the flexibility to address expenses in the order they arise, which is key to securing the future of your neighborhood theatre. We know this is a challenging financial time for many, but we truly mean it when we say no gift is too small to help keep Raven running.
About Raven Theatre
Raven Theatre tells stories of today and the past that connect us to our cultural landscape. Through its plays as well as its educational programming, Raven is committed to serving our communities' needs through the arts.
Raven Theatre Company is funded in part by the The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, Polk Bros Foundation, S&C Electric Company Fund, Paul M. Angell Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
—From a press release
