Panther in the Sky is a new play about four mothers who lost their teenage sons to gun violence on the streets of Chicago and the sons who watch over them, guiding them to take action.  The sons meet each other in the afterlife and grapple with the reality of their abrupt demise, while their mothers cope with grief and struggle to understand it all.

Featuring: Venice Averyheart, Rashaad A. Bond, Aida Palma Carpio, Gustavo Duran, Nina Mae Vidal Howard, Kyle Johnson, James Macapagal, Jamia Amira Taylor, Amanda Payne

Cast and Crew: 
Playwright: Lani Montreal
Director: Mignon McPherson Stewart
Producers: Ginger Leopoldo (CP) & Ellyzabeth Adler (CDE)
Community Engagement Director: Naomi Flores (CDE)
Musical Director: Chip Payos
Sound Designer: Rahsaan Nance
Lighting Designer: Joshua Paul Weckesser
Stage Manager: Gabrielle Foreman CDE FUNDERS: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is supported by The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; Farny Wurlitzer Foundation; Mardi Gras Fund; and the annual support of individual donors.

CIRCA Pintig Funders: CIRCA Pintig is supported in part by the Asian Giving Circle, Crossroads Fund, DCASE City Arts and Neighborhood Access Program Granst, Illinois Arts Council, an agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and RESIST.

“I started writing Panther in the Sky in 2009. That year, there were recorded numbers of 290 shootings and 34 gun-related deaths of public school students in Chicago. It was also during this time that I started teaching writing at Malcolm X College, where students, then and now, share their experiences of loss and trauma from gun violence. As an educator, a writer, and a new foster mother, I felt compelled to respond to the issue by writing a play about it. Since then, we’ve had readings all over the city, but this is the first time the full play is being staged. I feel honored working with such a talented cast and crew to breathe life into Panther in the Sky!”

“Years ago, Lani sent me an early draft of Panther in the Sky, and we dreamed of working together on it. Many things have changed since that time, but unfortunately, the issues this play explores continue to be relevant. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the realities of gun violence in our city and our country, to become numb. The beauty of a play like Panther in the Sky, is it reminds us that behind every news report and statistic is a person, a family, a community. It asks us to do what is within our power to lift up these stories and move toward an end to this crisis. Thank you to Lani for trusting me with this wonderful play. Thank you to CIRCAPintig and Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble for investing in this work and the vital calls to action that accompany it. Finally, thank you to this amazing cast for bringing your humanity, talent and dedication to this work. It has been an honor to work with you all. “