Direct Address @ Bramble 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: Jonathan Berry

Jonathan Berry is excited to be back in Chicago, after three years of serving as Artistic Director of The Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor, Maine. He is a proud ensemble member of both Steep Theatre and Griffin Theatre and a former Artistic Producer at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He directed the Steppenwolf productions of: Lindiwe, The Children, You Got Older, Constellations, and the SYA productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, The Crucible, and A Separate Peace. Steep Theatre Company: Paris, Red Rex, Earthquakes in London, Posh, The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle, If There Is I Haven’t Found it Yet, The Knowledge, Festen, Moment, The Hollow Lands and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. At Griffin, productions include: The North American premiers of Simon Stephens Punk Rock (Jeff award Director, Lead Actor, and Ensemble) Port, and On the Shore of the Wide World, as well as The Harvest, Winterset, Pocatello, Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy, The Burnt Part Boys, Spring Awakening Company, Picnic, Time and the Conways, Dead End, The Hostage and Journey’s End. Most recently, he directed the Chicago premiere of Ugly Lies the Bone for Shattered Globe.

He was the Assistant Director for Anna D Shapiro’s Broadway productions of Of Mice and Men and This is our Youth. Gift Theatre: Obliteration (2 nd production) The world premiers of both Dirty and Suicide, Incorporated, as well as Othello. Goodman Theatre: The Solid Sand Below and The World of Extreme Happiness for their New Stages Festival. Other work includes: Shattered Globe: Ugly Lies the Bone, American Theatre Company: K*ll Floor, American Blues: Little Shop of Horrors and Sideman; Redtwist: Look Back in Anger and Reverb, Chicago Dramatists: I am Going to Change the World, Jackalope Theatre: The Casuals, Strawdog: Conversations on a Homecoming, Remy Bumpo: The Marriage of Figaro, Theatre Mir: The Sea and Caucasian Chalk Circle, Lifeline Theater: The Piano Tuner (Afterdark award – Best Production) He pursued his MFA in directing from Northwestern University. He has taught acting, directing, and viewpoints at University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Acting Studio Chicago, Columbia College and served as the director for the ensemble training program The School at Steppenwolf.

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

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