Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alumna Joanie Schultz ’00, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s Theatre Directing program, directs the Philadelphia Theatre Company’s production of A Small Fire, starring two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth. The show runs October 18 through November 10 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad, Philadelphia. For tickets, click here. Written by Obie Award-winning playwright Adam Bock, A Small Fire follows Emily Bridges (Neuwirth), a woman used to running everything – from her construction business to her family – until she suddenly and mysteriously starts losing her senses. As each is slowly stripped away, her relationships shift in poignant and revelatory ways.

Last month, Schultz, former artistic director of the WaterTower Theatre in Addison, Texas, received a special citation from the Dallas-Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum as part of the group’s 2018-2019 Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum Awards. The citation honored Schultz “for her brief but significant contributions during her tenure as artistic director of WaterTower Theatre (December 2016–December 2018), including championing female directors, playwrights of color, and other inclusive initiatives; encouraging new works; and reinvigorating the DFW theater scene.”