BWBTC Events

Three new scripts that utilize stage combat to tell stories of underrepresented communities and invite audiences to contribute to the plays’ development!

The fourth annual Fighting Words Festival (live and streamed online)!

BWBTC’s 2019-21 season concludes with the Fighting Words Festival, held on Saturday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021 at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood, as well as streaming online. The Festival, which is free and open to the public is available online and in person, features readings of three scripts in the development process. After each reading the audience has an opportunity to provide feedback for the playwright.

Tickets: FREE ADMISSION! And a talkback following each reading.

Saturday, November 13, 2021 – 3:30pm

Phantom Queens

by Jessica Johnson

Directed by Angela Forshee
Fight Choreography by Nicky Jasper

Iris is dragged on a camping trip by her friends in an effort to cheer her up after the loss of her father, but the whole group ends up face-to-face with death when a storm sends them to a nearby lodge and into the hands of a suspicious group of locals.

Saturday, November 13, 2021 – 7:30pm

Child’s Play

by Frank Garland

Directed by Hayley Rice*
Fight Choreography by Kate Lass

A young mother named Alice breaks into the deadly playful kingdom of the fairies to get her child back. But fairy land is only as dangerous as what you bring with you. Dreams come alive there, and Alice has been having some bad dreams. (WARNING: This script contains descriptions of physical abuse, including abuse of a child.)

Sunday, November 14, 2021 – 3:30pm

The Mark

by Jillian Leff*

Directed by Morgan Manasa*
Fight Choreography by Polley Cooney

In a dystopian, classist society, a young Laborer named Raina is given an unexpected chance to join The Army. As she starts to acclimate to her new position and higher standing in society, a resistance is brewing among The Laborers. An assassination attempt upends Raina’s life as she becomes caught in the middle of the war between the two classes, as well as her own battle of discovering who and what she believes in.

Jessica Johnson (she/her/hers) is a writer, dog mom and nerd living in the great city of Chicago. Johnson has written articles, stories, poems, plays, sketches, TV scripts and screenplays. She has written about film, television and the web for Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York and RogerEbert.com, as well as appearing on “The Rotten Tomatoes Show.” She also created and co-starred in the web series “2 Redheads.” When not writing and paying the bills, Johnson enjoys walking her dog Bodhi, reading comics, watching lots of TV and movies and volunteering at the dog rescue One Tail at at Time. http://historyofjess.com

Frank Garland (he/his/his) is overjoyed to be working with the Babes. His plays have been produced in Seattle, Cambridge, Los Angeles and New York. He is a Young Playwrights Inc. award winner and a two time winner of the Blank Theater Young Playwrights Festival. He lives in Seattle with his hands and his feet.

Jillian Leff (she/her/hers) is a Chicago based playwright and actor. In the city, her plays have been produced by The New Colony (Small World – co-written with Joe Lino), The Cuckoo’s Theater Project (Missed Opportunities) and The Right Brain Project ((Non)Fiction), while her short plays have been produced by Broken Nose Theatre (All I Really Want), Random Acts Chicago (Ms. Chapman), Ghostlight Ensemble (Forgetting), Edge Theatre at Fight Night (The Mother Load) and Clock Productions (Real Talk). She has a BFA in Acting from Ball State University, and is an ensemble member with Babes With Blades Theatre Company.
https://newplayexchange.org/users/21210/jillian-leff