American Blues Theater's "The Lincoln Project" Returns to Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum Wednesday, August 28

GRAYSLAKE, IL. – American Blues Theater and Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, one of Chicago’s oldest Equity ensemble, are proud to announce the  return of The Lincoln Project, an American Blues Theater education outreach program, to Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum,  164 Hawley Street, Grayslake, Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.  The Lincoln Project includes a performance of scenes from the Pulitzer Prize nominated piece The Heavens are Hung in Black by Artistic Associate James Still, adapted and created by Whiteside, curriculum created by Ensemble member Manny Buckley and a post-show discussion using the American Blues Theater study guide. A suggested donation of $3 for adults and $1 for children is encouraged. For more information, contact Dave Oberg, Executive Director at doberg@villageofgrayslake.com or 847-543-1745.

Still’s play The Heaves are Hung in Black explores Abraham Lincoln's changing views about slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation as he converses with Dred Scott, Uncle Tom and an African-American soldier. This program commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

David Oberg, executive director of the Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum, is pleased to welcome back American Blues Theater and added, “We had the privilege to host American Blues…their spellbinding performance [of The Lincoln Project] brought home the human cost of slavery in the United States and offered a nuanced look at Lincoln’s evolution on the issue of abolition.  It was an emotional and thought-provoking afternoon, one that our audience talked over long after the performance had ended.”

ABOUT GRAYSLAKE HERITAGE CENTER & MUSEUM

The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum campus includes an 11,000 square foot facility housing multiple galleries, archives, a community room, dedicated classroom space, a museum store and collections storage.  The facility is handicapped accessible.  Parking is available on the north and east sides of the building, with additional spaces on nearby Whitney Street.  A 3,000 square foot annex, north of the main facility, houses additional artifacts. The Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 - 8 p.m., Fridays - Sundays from 12 - 4 p.m.

ABOUT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER

American Blues Theater’s multi-generational and inter-disciplined Ensemble & Artistic Affiliates comprise all aspects of theater, television and film. As of 2013, American Blues Theater has individually received more than 120 Joseph Jefferson Awards celebrating excellence in Chicago theater, two Pulitzer Prize nominations, two Academy Awards and nominations, three Golden Globe Awards and nominations, 13 Emmy Awards and nominations, six Writers’ Guild Awards, 19 Black Theatre Alliance Awards and nominations, 21 After Dark Awards and multiple regional theater awards from New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Florida.  American Blues Theater is the second-oldest Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago. The 38-member Ensemble has nearly 500 combined years of collaboration on stage.

The American Blues Theater Ensemble includes all four Founders Ed Blatchford, Rick Cleveland, James Leaming, and William Payne with Dawn Bach, Matthew Brumlow, Manny Buckley, Kate Buddeke, Sarah Burnham, Dara Cameron, Casey Campbell, Brian Claggett, Dennis Cockrum, Laura Coover, Lauri Dahl, Kristin DeiTos, Joe Foust, Tom Geraty, Cheryl Graeff, Marty Higginbotham, Jaclyn Holsey, Lindsay Jones, Samantha Jones, Nambi E. Kelley, Kevin R. Kelly, Steve Key, Ed Kross, Warren Levon, Michael Mahler, Kelli Marino, Heather Meyers , John Möhrlein, Jim Ortlieb, Suzanne Petri, Carmen Roman, Editha Rosario, Sarah E. Ross and Gwendolyn Whiteside.

The Lincoln Project at Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum, 164 Hawley Street, Grayslake, Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. includes a performance of scenes from the Pulitzer Prize nominated piece The Heavens are Hung in Black by Artistic Associate James Still, adapted and created by Whiteside, curriculum created by Ensemble member Manny Buckley and a post-show discussion using the American Blues Theater study guide. A suggested donation of $3 for adults and $1 for children is encouraged. For more information, contact Dave Oberg, Executive Director at doberg@villageofgrayslake.com or 847-543-1745.

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The Lincoln Project is made possible in part by funding by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Actors Equity Foundation, Eurex and ComEd is the official lighting season sponsor.