Address @ Raven Theatre

This program brings early-career directors face-to-face with established industry professionals in a structured, supportive environment. Each session provides:

Practical Directing Experience: Selected participants direct actors through 5-minute scenes.

Professional Feedback: Receive direct notes and guidance from an accomplished director.

Community Building: Connect with fellow directors and industry professionals.

Career Insights: Learn about pathways to assistant directing opportunities with Chicago institutions.

Director Application Form is available through ticket purchase confirmation page

Why is there a ticket price? Direct Address is a brand new artistic initiative. The ticket price attached to the event, in sliding scale format, will allow for the continuation of events like this one, solely aimed to provide more visibility, mentorship and connections for early career artists, to exist. The goal for Direct Address is to not just stop at The Understudy, but to continue around the Chicago theatre network, connecting more and more artists to refutable organizations and established artists, providing an access point for real work and opportunity.

Featured Director: Georgette Verdin

Georgette was profiled as one of 50 artists in NewCity Magazine’s 2023 edition “Players: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now.” She was also named in Chicago Reader’s 2022 Best of Chicago as “Best Local Stage Director Ready for the Next Big Steps.” In 2022, she was named the Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre, where she was able to direct as part of the one-night event “#ENOUGH, Plays to End Gun Violence.” During her tenure she also served as Associate Director on Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD, directed by Robert Falls, Assistant Director on CLYDE’S by Lynn Nottage, directed by Kate Whorisky, and as Associate Director to Kimberly Senior for the New Stages Festival production of THIS HAPPENED ONCE AT THE ROMANCE DEPOT OFF THE 1-87 IN WESTCHESTER by Gina Femia.

Georgette was recently nominated for three Joseph Jefferson Awards for Director of a Play (Midsize) for the world premiere of ENOUGH TO LET THE LIGHT IN (Teatro Vista), the Chicago premiere of THIS WIDE NIGHT (Shattered Globe/Interrobang Theatre Project) and the world premiere of SPAY (Rivendell Theatre). Georgette holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA and a Master in Directing from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She was a 2021 recipient of a 3Arts Make-A-Wave grant and is an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

This event is a Pocket Theatre program, hosted at Raven Theatre

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