(Please note, at this time, the theater is not Wheelchair Accessible; there is eight steps, a landing, and 8 more steps)

Panther in the Sky is a new play about four mothers who lost their teenage sons to gun violence on the streets of Chicago and the sons who watch over them, guiding them to take action. The production will include a curated art exhibition and a call to action.

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, co-produced with the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts – Pintig, or CIRCA-Pintig, a new play, Panther in the Sky, written by Lani T. Montreal, about four mothers who lost their teenage sons to gun violence on the streets of Chicago and the sons who watch over them, guiding them to take action. The sons meet each other in the afterlife and grapple with the reality of their abrupt demise, while their mothers cope with grief and struggle to understand it all.

Lani T. Montreal is an educator, writer, performer, and community activist. Her writings have been published and produced in Canada, the U.S., the Philippines, and cyberspace. She wrote this play based on news reports and stories shared by families and friends of those who have lost children and young adults to gun violence. This documentary theater style can engage people in conversations about gun violence and its toll on a community. The production will include a curated art exhibition and a call to action with postcard writing.

Featuring: Venice Averyheart, Rashaad A. Bond, Aida Palma Carpio, Gustavo Duran, Nina Mae Vidal Howard, Kyle Johnson, James Macapagal, Jamia Amira Taylor, Amanda Payne

Playwright: Lani Montreal

Director: Mignon McPherson Stewart

Producers: Ginger Leopoldo (C P) & Ellyzabeth Adler

Musical Director: Chip Payos

Sound Designer: Rahsaan Nance

Lighting Designer: Joshua Paul Weckesser

Stage Manager: Gabrielle Foreman