Collaboraction Theatre Company will do what it does best - bring people together to cultivate knowledge, empathy, dialogue, and action - at its 28th Utopian Ball gala benefit, Saturday, November 2 at 6 p.m. at Venue One, 221 N. Paulina St. in West Town.
Join over 200 of the company's lead supporters at a fancy, fun-filled gala dedicated to celebration, recognition, and commitment to arts excellence. Tickets are on sale now at collaboraction.org/utopianball for $250 or tables of 10 for $2,500.
At Collaboraction's Utopian Ball, you'll:
Experience "a place of ideal perfection" at the intersection of social action and theater, where Collaboraction strives to incite positive social change.
Enjoy an evening emceed by legendary Chicago Hip Hop artist Pinqy Ring, featuring performances by Montiara and Earl Hester of Collaboraction’s youth program, The Light, as well as Chicago music legend Nicholas Tremulis.
A capacity crowd enjoyed supporting Collaboraction at the 2023 Utopian Ball.
Meet special guests, participate in an opening ritual, dine on gourmet cuisine, bid on unique silent auction packages, take in live performances and awards, and discover how to champion Collaboraction's mission.
Celebrate Collaboraction's THIRD (!) Emmy Award for The Lost Story of Emmett Till, Then and Now, produced in partnership with NBC5 Chicago, the most recent national Emmy announced last week.
Congratulate Collaboraction company members G. Riley Mills and Willie Round, authors of Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till. The play was originally commissioned by NBC5 and is soon to be published by Dramatic Publishing and produced at theaters nationwide.
Be the first to learn the latest about Collaboraction's new home, a "House of Belonging," now in development at the Kimball Arts Center, off the 606, where Humboldt Park meets Logan Square.
Anthony Moseley (left), Collaboraction's Chief Programming Officer and Artistic Director, and Darlene Jackson, Collaboraction's new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, pumped up the crowd at last year's Utopian Ball.
"Particularly now, like never before," said Darlene Jackson, Collaboraction's new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, "as we're growing our campaign for our new home at Kimball Arts Center, your presence and support can significantly impact our ability to develop programming that promotes arts excellence and social justice through theater."
Utopian Ball Co-Chairs Carolyn Gold Aberman and Elsa Hiltner, who have both demonstrated their support for Collaboraction for years, will speak to their connections to the company before kicking off the awards portion of the evening.
This year's honors go to Ryan Brandoff, who contributes greatly to Collaboraction's art and branding with his excellent photography, videography, and digital media talents, as Collaboraction's 2024 Artists Award winner.
Lee Dickson of Baum Realty, who was instrumental in Collaboraction's search for a new space, and John Clark and Evan Williams of Cordogan, Clark and Associates, architects for Collaboraction's new House of Belonging, are the winners of the 2024 Ourhaus Award, given annually to the top Collaboraction donor or business partner.
Collaboraction's 2024 Utopian Ball, designed for its third year by Ethos Event Collective, is a major reason why its annual gala is widely regarded as one of the city's coolest theater fundraisers.
To learn more, visit collaboraction.org, tune into Collaboraction Radio live every Saturday at 4 p.m. on WCPT AM 820, subscribe to the Collaboraction Radio podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or follow Collaboraction on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X.
Come to the Utopian Ball and celebrate Collaboraction's THIRD (!) Emmy Award for The Lost Story of Emmett Till, Then and Now, produced in partnership with NBC5 Chicago, the most recent national Emmy announced last week.
About Collaboraction
Collaboraction is a 28-year-old, ethno-diverse non-profit arts organization dedicated to changing the map and removing barriers in the live theater industry. The company uses its proprietary KEDA methodology - Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue and Action - across all platforms, including live theater, film, radio and online interactive programs, to spark changes in attitudes and behavior that manifest social change.
In September, Collaboraction announced a new executive leadership team. Darlene Jackson, Collaboraction’s Board President since 2020, has joined the company full-time as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. Jackson, most recently a Creative Industry Liaison at Columbia College Chicago, is a respected cultural programs producer, proven business leader and DEI expert, also known internationally as DJ Lady D. Beverly Dines, who comes to Collaboraction after serving as Senior Director of Business Operations and People at Aeropay, was named Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director. Anthony Moseley, one of the original founders of Collaboraction in 1996, and Artistic Director since 1999, is now Chief Programming Officer and Artistic Director.
Collaboraction’s new leadership team (from left): Darlene Jackson, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director; Beverly Dines, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director; and Anthony Moseley, Chief Programming Officer and Artistic Director
About Collaboraction
Collaboraction is a 28-year-old, ethno-diverse non-profit arts organization dedicated to changing the map and removing barriers in the live theater industry. The company uses its proprietary KEDA methodology - Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue and Action - across all platforms, including live theater, film, radio and online interactive programs, to spark changes in attitudes and behavior that manifest social change.
In September, Collaboraction announced a new executive leadership team. Darlene Jackson, Collaboraction’s Board President since 2020, has joined the company full-time as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. Jackson, most recently a Creative Industry Liaison at Columbia College Chicago, is a respected cultural programs producer, proven business leader and DEI expert, also known internationally as DJ Lady D. Beverly Dines, who comes to Collaboraction after serving as Senior Director of Business Operations and People at Aeropay, was named Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director. Anthony Moseley, one of the original founders of Collaboraction in 1996, and Artistic Director since 1999, is now Chief Programming Officer and Artistic Director.
About Collaboraction
Collaboraction is a 28-year-old, ethno-diverse non-profit arts organization dedicated to changing the map and removing barriers in the live theater industry. The company uses its proprietary KEDA methodology - Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue and Action - across all platforms, including live theater, film, radio and online interactive programs, to spark changes in attitudes and behavior that manifest social change.
In September, Collaboraction announced a new executive leadership team. Darlene Jackson, Collaboraction’s Board President since 2020, has joined the company full-time as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. Jackson, most recently a Creative Industry Liaison at Columbia College Chicago, is a respected cultural programs producer, proven business leader and DEI expert, also known internationally as DJ Lady D. Beverly Dines, who comes to Collaboraction after serving as Senior Director of Business Operations and People at Aeropay, was named Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director. Anthony Moseley, one of the original founders of Collaboraction in 1996, and Artistic Director since 1999, is now Chief Programming Officer and Artistic Director.
Currently, Collaboraction is building a new home, including a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a 50-seat cabaret with a cafe/bar, inside the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave., right off the 606, where Logan Square meets Humboldt Park. Collaboraction’s “House of Belonging" will be a community hub presenting live theater, spoken word, music, dance, films, workshops, youth programming and special events.
Collaboraction’s past work includes the three-time Emmy Award-winning The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta, its House of Belonging event series, The Light Youth Ensemble, live productions of Moonset Sunrise, A Blue Island In the Red Sea and its long-running Peacebook and Sketchbook festivals.
In addition to live performances, community building and video production, Collaboraction centers and presents its work in historically overlooked Chicago neighborhoods like Englewood, Austin and Lawndale. In 2022, Collaboraction was one of the first theaters in the U.S. to be certified by On Our Team, a national trade organization advocating for pay equity and transparency in the live theater industry.
Collaboraction’s awards include three Emmys, a Distinguished Service to the Arts Award, DCASE’s Foster Innovation Award and two Silver Gavel nominations and an Honorable Mention from the American Bar Association.
Collaboraction is supported by its growing ranks of Collaboractivists, individuals who support the company’s social change mission with a monthly contribution, starting at just $1. To join, visit collaboraction.org/memberships.
Collaboraction is also supported by AV Chicago, Marc and Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation, Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Paul M. Angell Foundation, Naperville Rotary Club, Field Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Illinois Arts Council.
For more, visit collaboraction.org.