The Porch Light – An original work by Chicago Playwright, Felicia Pfluger that chronicles over 120 years (from 1893 through the present) of American life and family. Through powerful, hilarious and fun vignettes, we explore times of radical change in history, the context of cultural change, changes in the family unit, social awareness, wars… and our humanity. The Porch Light is on, children. It is time to come home.
CAST SPOTLIGHT
The play, The Porch Light, to me, means a spark of hope. For as long as there is a family living there, and keeping the light on, no matter what the century, our hope will continue on. And humanity will survive.
~ Josephine Berger (Realtor)
The Porchlight is a beautiful production that allows both the cast and the audience to heal. It shows both the wondrous joy and the inevitable sadness we all face as families, friends, and acquaintances. Each character brings their own set of cards to the table, and even the ones in singular scenes shine out remarkably. The Porchlight looks into the emotional rollercoaster of families, dating, and marriage. Even more so, it shows America’s history not merely informatively, but creatively and personally.
We are all human, and our mistakes can create gaps between us and other people. The Porchlight shows how we can overcome our mistakes, and grow through the pain and hurt on interpersonal and societal levels. Love, Family, War, Peace, Light, Darkness, The Porchlight has it all in a real and emotional way. Florence is and probably always will be a character that lives close to my heart, perhaps giving me strength when I need it most. Playing Florence and watching other various characters made me truly realize how difficult some things were, are, and may continue to be. Time never stops, it keeps moving, bringing change and hope every day.
“…I have always especially loved twilight. The sunsets are spectacular. And we have the promise of a new day…” – Florence
~ Sophiella Griffith (Florence, Sally, Kathryn)
The Porch Light is this all awesome ensemble play covering so many different times and cultures in Chicago. It is very diverse, yet everyone lives in this same house with the porch as the meeting place Through 120 years, we see everyone bond and fight and laugh and cry as they work through the best and worst of life.
~ Kathryn Chicoine (Kegan, Sheila, Hans)
The Porch Light is a commentary on society as a whole. The storylines throughout history are still relevant. Earlier story lines reflect on incidents today. For example, the prejudices against Hans because of his German origins. ~ Ara Bonsignore (Dan, Sam Chris, Phil, Archie)
The Porch Light is about learning how to turn a house into a home. So many lives that seem so completely random and inconceivable can be connected. It really allows you to see things through another person’s eyes and has opened up my perspective on how so many people can struggle in different ways. It shows the strongest and weakest parts of people. ~ Anastaja Nunez (Grandma Harriet, Ronnie, Sheltie)
The Porch Light is real history yet told from the perspective of an average American family as they navigate the difficulties of living in America over the past century. ~ Michale Sahs (James, Denny, Bob)
We see real people come out on the porch to get away from the tragedy of life in The Porch Light. It’s a bonding area and a place to get away from problems and talk and vent and heal. ~ Matthew Gerhardt (Paul, Grandpa Patrick, Herb)
It’s a great coming of age story and how the challenges of life affect people I think that people in the audience will really connect with it because we touch on so many issues and time periods. ~ Grace Simmons (Emma, Pearl, Karen)
The Porch Light is about how each family is very different from the others and how they all have their own problems. Each family has joy and love, but they have real problems for life isn’t just fun and games. It also shows how a house can have such an impact on a family as not just a house, but a home.
I’ve learned that in situations like there are in this play, you’re not alone. Family or no family, there’s always someone there for you. It also shows that there are many problems in the world that people have to deal with and things aren’t always what meets the eye. I really loved the play. It spreads joy and it has lots of different emotions. ~ Angelina Calvetti (Olive, Denise, Michelle, Ashley)
The Porch Light is a combination of a ton of American culture, families, and relationships. It’s a bunch of different walks of life. ~ Greta Sandman (Abby, Wendy, Megan, Brittany)
It’s a family that starts off new and fresh and the generations. It shows you their life and life lessons. ~ Naimah Arteaga (Cordelia, Juju, Elizabeth)
In the Porch Light, we have the opportunity to see how one home changes throughout the decades. We see different families move through it and bring elements to the house. In the end, the porchlight is a beautiful examination of how times have changed yet remained the same. ~ Katie Dutton, (Grandmama Isabel, Opal, Wanda)
It’s about a family’s journey that passes on through the years and ends in our current time. The Porch Light shows the transformation of people over time. ~ Parker Landfear (Lil’ Patrick, Thomas, Jake, Scott)
From an Acting Training Perspective, this show offers: powerful and complex characters for the actor/actress to explore, will teach aging the character, and offers a variety of acting dynamics to master.
Acting Training Placement Auditions – LATTE Theater
Auditions start Saturday, September 7th, following the workshop, and by appointment. The teen cast performs a full-length show open for our supportive community, family and friends. LATTE challenges veteran performers while giving a strong and fun primer to those who want to explore theater as a new avenue.
LATTE bases each individual choice of a show on what highlights the strength, chemistry and cast member’s talent through auditions. Our mission is to encourage teens’ growth on and off the stage. Fun and focus go hand-in-hand in a collaborative leadership model.
Tweens-Teens must be available to participate in all performances and heck week.
- Mandatory Heck Week November 1st – 8th, Full CastShow Dates Friday, November 8th – Saturday, November 9th
- 3 Show Performance on Friday, November 8th – Saturday, November 9th
- Practices Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays
- Minimal Vacations/Commitments can be worked around as long as they are not in “Heck week”. All cast members are required to attend mandatory heck week rehearsals and be available the entire days for the weekend of the show. As much as we might want to make exceptions for this time period, it is imperative for the sake of cast integrity that we honor this, according to the Actor’s Code. This is a fun, yet intensive program and we want everyone to succeed!
