Columbia College Chicago Theatre alumni are in the creative team and cast of About Face Theatre‘s world premiere of Modern Gentleman, a new comedy written by Columbia College alum Preston Max Allen ’13, a graduate of the Columbia College Theatre Program’s BA Program in Acting. The show runs through April 18 at Raven Theatre, located at 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. Student discounts are available. For tickets, click here.
A special Columbia College Night performance of Modern Gentleman on Friday, April 3, is being hosted by the Columbia College Chicago School of Theatre and Dance‘s Theatre Alumni Board as part of the alumni board‘s new program “SPOTLIGHT” – An Event Series Showcasing Our Collective Industry Excellence. Each semester, the Theatre Alumni Board will collaborate with an industry professional and/or company that employs students, alumni, and/or faculty members to provide events and opportunities to support these artists, connect with industry professionals, and learn more about what it takes to produce their work. This series supports the Theatre Alumni Board’s mission to build connections, explore career paths, and bring members of Columbia College Chicago‘s Theatre Program together to support our industry. Open to alumni, students, faculty, and supporters of the Theatre Program at Columbia College, the evening begins with a pre-show reception at 6 PM featuring appetizers and a cash bar, followed by a performance of Modern Gentleman at 7:30 PM. For tickets to the Columbia College Night at Modern Gentleman, click here.
Set in present-day New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut, Modern Gentleman is described as “the queer and trans rom-com you’ve been waiting for.” After his partner of five years abruptly ends their relationship, 28-year-old Adam must navigate the world of dating for the first time since coming out as a trans man. But Adam’s hopes for a fresh start are quickly derailed when a chaotic new girlfriend, the return of his ex, and long-ignored personal demons force him to finally confront his complicated relationship to his own identity.
Preston Max Allen
The play has received glowing reviews from Chicago critics. “About Face Theatre’s appealing production of Preston Max Allen’s enjoyable and enlightening new play is a saucy and seductive trans rom com that will appeal to everyone: gay, straight, bi, trans and everything in between,” writes Chicago Theatre Review’s Colin Davis. And in a review headlined “Modern Gentleman Depicts Transition with Humor and Heart,” the Chicago Reader‘s Matt Simonette says the play “masterfully illustrates that when one person charts a new path—in this case a gender transition—their loved ones by necessity have to effect a change as well. . . . Allen’s script and Landree Fleming’s direction keep the 90-minute story going at a brisk clip for the most part,” Simonette continues, adding: “Scenic designer Milo Bue and lighting designer Conchita Avitia deserve special mention for their collaboration on a set that embodies Adam’s apartment. . . . Changes in time, location, and mood come through the lighting, and the characters and their evolutions remain front and center. It’s a terrific example of set design and lighting perfectly complementing the stories and characters.”
Milo Bue
Conchita Avitia
Emma Fulmer
MacKenzie Makurat
Mark Brown
Jamie Meun
Audrey Kleine
As previously reported in this blog, Columbia College alums Milo Bue ’16 and Conchita Avitia ’18 are both graduates of the Theatre Program’s BA Program in Theatre Design. Other Columbia College alums involved with the production include cast member Emma Fulmer ’24, a graduate of the Theatre Program’s BFA Program in Acting; assistant stage manager MacKenzie Makurat ’25, a graduate of the BA Program in Theatre; lead electrician Mark Brown ’21, a graduate of the BA Program in Theatre Design and Technology; About Face Theatre managing director Jamie Meun ’17, a graduate of the Theatre Program’s BA Program in Comedy Writing and Performance; and About Face’s operations and production manager Audrey Kleine ’17, a graduate of the BA Program in Technical Theatre with a Minor in Management.
About Face Theatre staff members Audrey Kleine, Dionne Addai, Jamie Meun, and Megan Carney recently spoke to students in the Columbia College Chicago School of Theatre and Dance’s “Queer Theatre and Performance” class.
In connection with the April 3 Columbia College Night at Modern Gentleman, the Columbia College Chicago School of Theatre and Dance’s Theatre Alumni Board recently hosted About Face Theatre on a visit to Theatre professor Grace Overbeke‘s “Queer Theatre and Performance” class at Columbia. The theatre was represented by Jamie Meun, Audrey Kleine, and Dionne Addai, About Face’s director of education and artistic programming, along with About Face artistic director Megan Carney. Carney, a former Columbia College faculty member, discussed her role in executing the company’s mission, vision, values, and season planning; Addai explained the company’s youth ensemble program, the role of partnerships in season programming, and About Face’s touring workshop and performances; Kleine shared the production process and talked about the successes and challenges of producing new work; and Meun talked about the management side of the company, including the financial aspect of operating a small storefront theatre like About Face.
The campus visit by About Face, which included a Q&A with students, was part of the alumni board‘s new initiative “SPOTLIGHT” – An Event Series Showcasing Our Collective Industry Excellence. “SPOTLIGHT” provides events to celebrate the talent, collaboration, and achievements of our theatre industry while fostering meaningful connections between students, alumni, faculty, and the wider professional landscape.
