Matt De Caro, Monica Lopez Orozco, André De Shields, Lauren Molina. Photo by Lia Chang
The Chicago theatrical community turned out to celebrate two-time Tony nominee and Emmy winner André De Shields (THE WIZ, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’, THE FULL MONTY, PLAY ON!) during the three performance run of his self-penned CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P., in the Začek McVay Theater at Victory Gardens this weekend.
Dennis Začek, Carol Eastin, André De Shields and Marcelle McVay. Photo by Lia Chang
Linda Kimbrough, André De Shields and Matt De Caro. Photo by Lia Chang
Monica Lopez Orozco and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Lauren Molina, currently starring in WONDERFUL TOWN at the Goodman Theatre. Photo by Lia Chang
Dennis Začek and Cookie Gluck. Photo by Lia Chang
Victory Gardens Artistic Director Chay Yew, André De Shields, Samuel G. Roberson Jr. Photo by Lia Chang
Marcelle McVay and Dennis Začek. Photo by Lia Chang
Co-director Samuel G. Roberson Jr., Co-director and Co-producer Dennis Začek, Co-producer Charles Grippo and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Samuel G. Roberson Jr. and Victory Gardens Artistic Director Chay Yew. Photo by Lia Chang
Eric Nathan and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Eric Nathan, Toni Marie and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Ashley Roberson and Samuel G. Roberson Jr. Photo by Lia Chang
Bobbye Natkin, Cordis Fejer, André De Shields and a guest. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Bobbye Natkin. Photo by Lia Chang
Velma Austin and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields under the Victory Gardens marquee in Chicago on August 28, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang
Former castmembers and colleagues in the audience included Linda Kimbrough (THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES); Monica Lopez Orozco (CAMINO REAL); WONDERFUL TOWN stars Lauren Molina (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE) and Matt De Caro (CAMINO REAL); Bobbye Natkin, Cordis Fejer, Cookie Gluck (WARP/Organic Theatre Company); Kimberly Lawson, Mario Mazzetti, Scott Gryder, Nick Sula, Sarah Wurz, David Lipschutz (WOZ); Eric Nathan and Velma Austin (Mr. De Shields won his first Jeff Award for directing THE COLORED MUSEUM starring Ms. Austin, in 1987 at Victory Gardens).
Also in the house, Tyrone L. Robinson and Chris Sams (upcoming Drury Lane Theatre’s SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE), Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor, Jim Corti, Artistic Director at the Paramount Theatre, William Osetek, Artistic Director for Drury Lane Theatre and Chicago theater critic Jonathan Abarbanel.
Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Jim Corti, Artistic Director at the Paramount Theatre, André De Shields, William Osetek, Artistic Director for Drury Lane Theatre. Photo by Lia Chang
Tyrone L. Robinson, Donica Lynn, André De Shields and Chris Sams. Photo by Lia Chang
Jim Corti and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Kimberly Lawson, Mario Mazzetti, André De Shields, Scott Gryder, Nick Sula, Sarah Wurz. Photo by Lia Chang
David Lipschutz and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Michael Ferraro, Doug Peck, Christine Mild, André De Shields and Bernard Balbot. Photo by Lia Chang
Ed Tracy, Denise McGowan Tracy and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Libby York and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Victory Gardens Theater. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and guests. Photo by Lia Chang
Jim Corti, Donica Lynn and Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
From the heat of urban insurrection in Baltimore, Maryland to the incandescent glare of New York’s Great White Way, “Jelly Belly” has many stories to tell. Through song, dance, and spoken word, Victory Gardens Theater’s Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellow André De Shields shared his riveting solo-performance which follows his adventure from inner city impoverishment to self-actualization.
Kimberly Lawson, Robert Reddrick, André De Shields, Donica Lynn and Anthony J. Mhoon. Photo by Lia Chang
CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P.’s cast stars André De Shields, Donica Lynn and Kimberly Lawson.
André De Shields and Anthony J. Mhoon. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Anthony J. Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Anthony J. Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Anthony J. Mhoon and Kimberly Lawson. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon and Kimberly Lawson. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Robert Reddrick, Anthony J. Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn and Kimberly Lawson. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon. Photo by Lia Chang
Robert Reddrick. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon, André De Shields, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck, Taylor Moore, Robert Reddrick, André De Shields, Anthony J. Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Co. at curtain call. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck, Robert Reddrick, André De Shields, Kimberly Lawson, Anthony J. Mhoon and Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
Directed by Dennis Začek and Samuel G. Roberson Jr., the creative team for CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. features Doug Peck (musical direction), Jake Huppert (sound design), Brandon Moorhead(lighting design), Austin Pettinger (costume design) and Charles Smith (dramaturge). The band includes Anthony J. Mhoon (bass) and Robert Reddrick (percussion), and guest percussionist Taylor Moore. Tina Jach is the stage manager and Nebi Berhane is Mr. De Shields’ personal assistant.
Taylor Moore, Robert Reddrick, André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. Photo by Lia Chang
Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon, André De Shields and Kimberly Lawson. Photo by Lia Chang
Dennis Začek. Photo by Lia Chang
Dennis Začek. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Dennis Začek. Photo by Lia Chang
Taylor Moore and Robert Reddrick. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon. Photo by Lia Chang
Robert Reddrick. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
Robert Reddrick. Photo by Lia Chang
Jake Huppert. Photo by Lia Chang
Nebi Berhane. Photo by Lia Chang
Nebi Berhane and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Tina Jach and Nebi Berhane. Photo by Lia Chang
Nebi Berhane, Lindsay Shepherd and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Anthony J. Mhoon, Robert Reddrick, André De Shields and Taylor Moore. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Taylor Moore. Photo by Lia Chang
Jackie Taylor, Anthony J. Mhoon, Cassandra Mhoon, André De Shields, Linda Reddrick and Robert Reddrick. Photo by Lia Chang
Robert Reddrick, Kimberly Lawson, Doug Peck, André De Shields, Donica Lynn, Anthony J. Mhoon. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
Doug Peck and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Donica Lynn and Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields, Donica Lynn and Doug Peck. Photo by Lia Chang
Donica Lynn. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Patrick Kerwin. Photo by Lia Chang
Dennis Zacek. Photo by Lia Chang
Brandon Moorhead and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Jake Huppert and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Mike Sikes. Photo by Lia Chang
Presented by Dennis Začek and Grippo Stage Co., Inc., CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. originally premiered as part of Victory Gardens’ 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
In a career spanning forty-seven years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, choreographer and educator. He is the recipient of three Jeff Awards, one as Director for Victory Gardens’ 1987 production of The Colored Museum, and two as Featured Performer in a Musical for the Goodman Theatre productions of Play On! (1998) and Mary Zimmerman’s The Jungle Book (2013). In fact Mr. De Shields’ professional career began at Chicago’s Shubert Theatre, now the Bank of America Theatre, in the 1969 production of Hair. From there he moved on to The Me Nobody Knows at the Civic Opera House, and ultimately became a member of The Organic Theatre Company, where he created the role of Xander the Unconquerable, Ruler of the Sixth Dimension in the cult sensation Warp. A multiple Tony Award nominee, he is best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway musicals: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Play On! and The Full Monty.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
His numerous accolades include an Emmy Award for the NBC Special based on Ain’t Misbehavin’, the 2007 Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance, the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award, a 2012 Fox Foundation Fellowship in Distinguished Achievement, Florida Atlantic University’s 2014 Making Waves Award, the Theatre School at DePaul University 2015 Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Riant Theatre’s 2016 Pioneer of the Arts Award, the Black Theatre Network’s 2016 Winona Lee Fletcher Award, nine AUDELCO Awards. and two Doctor of Fine Arts degrees honoris causa one each from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of New York-College at Buffalo. A triple Capricorn, Mr. De Shields is the ninth of eleven children born and reared in Baltimore, Maryland. www.andredeshields.com
Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. Photo by Lia Chang
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Samuel G. Roberson Jr., Chay Yew, Lia Chang, André De Shields.
Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Lia Chang Photography 