SYNOPSIS: Don’t miss this dark comedy that Inda Craig-Galván showcased as part of Orlando Shakes’ PlayFest 2020! Patricia and Gerald are quite proud of the life they’ve built in suburban Matteson, Illinois. They host a welcome-to-the-neighborhood dinner party for their new neighbors, Regina and Corey. The big difference with these guests: they were forcibly relocated to Matteson when Chicago demolished its roughest housing project, Cabrini Green. Classism, internalized racism, and issues of choice/access complicate and threaten to destroy not only the dinner, but their relationships, as well!
VIEW DIGITAL PROGRAMRATING PG-13 | Racist and Adult Language – Themes of Racism, Class and Culture
ALCOHOL: Beer and wine are consumed. There is an insinuation that a character is an alcoholic.
LANGUAGE: Racist and adult language (ex: ass, hell, F-bombs, N-word, Jesus, shit, bitch, etc.)
FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: Welcome to Matteson! is an adult dark comedy about race, class and culture. It is most appropriate for Grades 8 and up.
Join us for Black Theater Industry Night on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. where artists from the Black community will be celebrated for the stories they share on the stages of Orlando Shakes and throughout the country. We also invite you to a post-show gathering that evening to share experiences and have dialogue about Welcome to Matteson! Drinks and snacks will be provided. Tickets for this night are Pay What You Will for all who wish to attend, and also please consider donating to our Black Artistry Fund.
For tickets and more information about the show, please call 407-447-1700 or visit orlandoshakes.org/show/welcome-to-matteson/
Cabrini-Green Homes
Cabrini–Green was a public housing project in Chicago. Begun as an urban renewal program, poverty and crime became associated with the area, with vandalism, rat infestations, rotting garbage stacked up, and basic utilities left in disrepair.
In 1997, Chicago began an urban renewal initiative that demolished the area. Residents described mixed feelings about the end of Cabrini–Green. Many had developed bonds of community, support and friendship, and worried about what would become of them. Former residents were moved out of Chicago to nearby south suburbs such as Harvey, Matteson, or other nearby cities.
Matteson
The city of Matteson is an affluent suburb of Chicago one hour south in Cook County. Between 2000-2010, the community attracted many well-to-do African-Americans, many of whom were previously based in Chicago. By 2011, Matteson’s African-American population increased by roughly 85%. Today, Matteson is home to nearly 20,000 residents, hundreds of businesses, and the close proximity of two major hospitals.
Welcome to Matteson! is produced at Orlando Shakes as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other Partner Theaters are Congo Square Theatre in Chicago and New Jersey Repertory in Long Branch, NJ. For more information, please visit nnpn.org
Creative Team
Director Roberta Emerson***
Scenic and Lighting Designer Stephen Jones**
Costume Designer & Wig Designer Dr. L. Nyrobi N. Moss
Sound Designer Britt Sandusky
Dramaturg Jena Rashid
AEA Stage Manager George Hamrah*
Production Assistant Gabby Scott
Light Board Operator Aaron Frank
Lead Wardrobe Kennedy Cranford
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theater and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
** = Member of United Scenic Artists (USA) | *** Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)
Children under 5 will not be admitted into the Theater.