Lang Lang and Christoph Eschenbach with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra
March 24th, 2010 at 8:00 pm - Christoph Eschenbach first met Lang Lang in 1999 at the Ravinia Festival (just weeks after his July Learn More...
Billy Jonas, vocalist/percussionist
March 26th, 2010 at 7:00 pm - Performance artist, camp counselor, high energy musician—Billy Jonas is all of these things and more Learn More...
Ruske, Prutsman, and Frautschi
April 6th, 2010 at 8:00 pm - Horn soloist Eric Ruske was named associate principal horn of the Cleveland Orchestra at the age of Learn More...
Clemson University Choral Ensembles
April 8th, 2010 at 8:00 pm - The Clemson University Choral Ensembles present a concert of traditional and contemporary choral mus Learn More...
Betrayal • Clemson Players
April 13th, 2010 - April 17th, 2010 at 8:00 pm - "Betrayal," one of Harold Pinter’s most celebrated plays, begins in the present with the meeting of Learn More...
Taking the Windy City By Storm
Katie Jones
Class of 2004
Katie Jones is taking Chicago by storm. As a freelance director and the outreach coordinator for the American Theater Company, Katie is very active in the city’s vibrant theatre scene.
Since moving to Chicago about a year ago, she’s directed several plays for a variety of small theatre companies as well as implemented artist’s residencies at local schools.
“I’ve worked with every age group, from preteens to retirees. I’m loving every minute of it,” Katie said.
After graduating, Katie spent a year in Sarasota, Fla., interning at the Asolo Theatre.Her connections there led to the move to the Windy City. “I was lucky to work for a director who liked my work. He knew I needed a job after my internship ended, and invited me to come here, where he also directs.”
Her debut in Chicago was What’s it All About? at the Northlight Theatre. “It was a play written and acted by senior citizens,” she said. “The play was comprised of five vignettes that dealt with life as a senior citizen.”
Katie has also directed Autumns Leaves at the Citadel Theatre, and Customer for Life, a new play by Chicago writer Bill Jordan at the Around the Coyote Winter Festival. She is currently working on Dig, a new production by the Guerilla Tango Theatre.
In addition, she is a member of the Directors Lab Chicago, a networking organization for up-and-coming directors.
“I truly believe my time in Clemson prepared me for this,” Katie said. “The faculty pushed me to my fullest potential. When I had an idea, they said try it. That’s how Mock Turtle Soup got its start.” Katie was a founding member of the university’s student improvisation club, which remains active on campus.
If that weren’t enough, Katie is the outreach coordinator at the American Theater Company. She plans in-school residencies with the company’s teaching artists. “I help teachers integrate drama into to their curriculums,” she explained. “I work with actors and teachers designing activities that help teach English, writing, history, and other subjects.”
The American Theater Company also offers free performances to schools. “It’s similar to the Brooks Center’s Tri-ART program,” she said. “I arrange those visits to the theatre.”
In addition, she runs ATC’s two-week summer camp.
“Since moving to Chicago my perspective about theatre has changed,” Katie said. “Back in Clemson, I believed theatre was just for people to enjoy. Now, I believe that the arts do more than entertain. The arts are a public service that can enrich the lives of people, young and old. The arts make our society better.”
With all that Katie is doing, it’s no wonder that Chicago is a better place.
