D-Compressed: Activating the Archives of Black Hull-House Theatre

Join the Black chamber music ensemble D-Composed as they create an evening of music and meditation celebrating the work of Black composers. This restorative musical experience will be accompanied by a reading room dedicated to narratives of Black theatre history at Hull-House, curated by theatre artist Ericka Ratcliff.

Act Well Your Part is an exhibition and festival hosted at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum celebrating the legacies of Hull-House Theatre and building a future of civically engaged theatre in Chicago. A theatrical hub for the city of Chicago for over a century, Hull-House played a pivotal role in the development of community theatre, the Little Theatre movement, Improv, and Chicago’s iconic non-profit theatre scene. Taking its name from the epigraph emblazoned above the original Hull-House stage, Act Well Your Part, There All the Honor Lies reframes contemporary Chicago theatre as an essential part of the city’s civic fabric.

About the Artists

D-Composed is a Chicago-based Black chamber music collective that celebrates Black culture and creativity through the music of Black composers.

We aim to make classical music experiences inclusive and reflective of the Black experience by intentionally creating experiences that meet our community where they are.

D–COMPOSED /DEE-KUHM-POHZD/ – ADVERB - Our creative process involves breaking down preconceived notions, barriers, and opinions of what people think classical music should be to re-writing our narrative to reflect what the classical world could be.

Ericka Ratcliff is a multidisciplinary artist serving as the Literary Manager at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Coordinating Producer for 100 Free Acts at Goodman Theatre. Formerly the Artistic Director at Congo Square Theatre Company, she programmed critically acclaimed productions such as Welcome to Matteson, What To Send Up When It Goes Down and How I Learned What I Learned, and served as the Executive Producer of The Blackside digital series. As a director, her credits also include Chlorine Sky(Steppenwolf for Young Adults), WHITE! (Definition Theatre), Blues for an Alabama Sky (UIC), Hit the Wall(NIU), and The Wolves (University of Chicago). Ericka is a recipient of the Chicago 3Arts Make A WaveAward, a Walder Foundation finalist, a Chicago Women in Philanthropy mentee, an ArtsEquity BIPOC Leadership Cohort member in 2023, The Civic Actors Studio participant and an ensemble member at Lookingglass Theatre. As an actor, she was last seen on stage in the Jeff Award-winning production of Penelopiad at Goodman Theatre. A passionate storyteller and advocate, Ericka is committed to creating bold, resonant work that amplifies underrepresented voices, fosters dialogue and builds community.

Act Well Your Part is supported by the Discovery Partners Institute.

Host or Publisher Jane Addams Hull-House Museum