Press release
THE CHICAGO-BASED DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER HAS TWO WORKS CURRENTLY ON OFF-LOOP STAGES: THE GREAT KHAN (DIRECTOR) THROUGH FEBRUARY 26 AT REDTWIST THEATRE; AND BOHO THEATRE’S REVIVAL OF TICK, TICK…BOOM! (CHOREOGRAPHER) THROUGH FEBRUARY 5 AT THE EDGE THEATER
Goodman Theatre congratulates Jamal Howard (he/him) who has been selected as the 2023 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow. A Chicago-based director and choreographer, Howard is the co-artistic director of New American Folk Theatre and an associate company member with TUTA Theatre; his work can be seen in two productions on stage now: the world premiere of The Great Khan by Michael Gene Sullivan, which he directed (through February 26 at RedTwist Theatre) and Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick…BOOM!, which he choreographed for BoHo Theatre (through February 5 at The Edge Theater). The season-long Maggio Fellowship is an opportunity for an early-career director to assist on a Goodman production and become involved in the theater’s ongoing artistic life. Established in 2002, the fellowship honors the memory and artistry of Goodman Associate Artistic Director Michael Maggio (1951-2000), who directed 22 productions at the Goodman and more than 60 productions across the country.
“This is an honor that makes me feel even more a part of Chicago’s theater community, that I’ve solidified myself as a Chicago theater director and that the Goodman will be a new artistic home for me,” said Jamal Howard, who started performing in musicals at age eight. “I love theater as an art form and a way of telling stories. I hope my work inspires audiences to lead a more empathetic life—and I want to inspire the artistic community to think more about how we can make art responsibly by leading with empathy and collaboration. The best theater comes from good collaboration.”
Howard recently choreographed Masks Off for Goodman Theatre’s 2021/22 Playwrights Unit. Additional select directing and choreography credits include The Apple Tree (Porchlight Music Theatre); 8-Track: The Sounds of the 70s, Songs for A New World (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre); R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (Right Angle Entertainment/National Tour); Corduroy, The Wiz, Magic Tree House (Emerald City Theatre); Dirty Girl, Scraps, Dark of the Moon (New American Folk Theatre) and The Mole Hill Stories (Madison Children’s Theatre). Howard served as the associate artistic director of Emerald City Theatre and has worked with Filament Theatre, First Floor Theater, After School Matters, Mudlark Theater, Artemisia Theatre and CircEsteem.
“Jamal’s work is so deliciously wide-ranging—from making work for the very young to choreographing and directing great contemporary texts,” said Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. “It’s this expansive curiosity and practice that renders him such a compelling artist and one we feel so fortunate to have join us this year at the Goodman.”
Previous Michael Maggio Fellows include: Georgette Verdin (2021-2022), Spenser Davis (2020-2021), Sydney Chatman (2019), Jo Cattell (2017), Jess McLeod (2016), Vanessa Stalling (2015), Marti Lyons (2014), Erica Weiss (2013), Jimmy McDermott (2012), Anna Bahow (2011), Joanie Schultz (2009), Anthony Moseley (2007), Dado (2006), Ann Filmer (2005), Mignon McPherson-Nance (2003) and Lynn Ann Bernatowicz (2002).
ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE
Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. The theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earner two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades. The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.
Using the tools of the theatrical profession, Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand the cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered free of charge for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.
Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.
Today, Goodman Theatre is led by Artistic Director Susan Booth and Executive Director/CEO Roche Schulfer. Theater leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Rebecca Gilman, Dael Orlandersmith, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Kimberly Senior, Chuck Smith and Mary Zimmerman. Jeff Hesse is Chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Fran Del Boca is Women’s Board President and Craig McCaw is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.
