New Play Reading: Tenuous Fibers at 4001 N Ravenswood Ave Unit 303-B – Chicago, IL

Title art painted by Lucas Myers, Instagram @lucasmyers.art

Synopsis:

Sand is your time, acorns are your memories.

Everyone wears their time on their chest, and everyone knows exactly how much time they have left. Everyone has acorns that are memories, and if you touch an acorn, you can live that memory back again, or even live someone else’s memory.

Gossamers follow a strict religion that demands you hide your time and swear never to wonder how much you have left.

Everyone except Gossamers know their time, and everyone except Gossamers get to have a meaningful, planned ceremony in their last moments called a Passing.

Margo recently lost her wife, Ana. Ana was a Gossamer and Margo never got to say goodbye. Now all she has to remember her by is the apothecary they started together, which is hanging on by a thread.

Ajani was raised in the Gossamer religion. He woke up this morning in the same bed he’s woken up in every day of his life. He swore he’d never wake up in that bed again, and bought a train ticket to the end of the line, where he met Margo.

Ajani’s still very devout, he just needed a change. But there’s a mysterious panic in his eyes that even the most confident optimism can’t cover up.

And soon, Margo has a visitor in the night that changes everything.

The Cast:

Margo Crouse

Ajani George

Alison Schaufler

Johnard Washington

Hadley Singer

Ana Santos

The Writing Process:

Hey it’s Cami!

For this project, I started with the actors. I wanted to create a piece written specifically for specific people, but I didn’t want to hold auditions. I wanted to find people in my real life that interested and inspired me.

So throughout 2024 and 2025, I kept my eyes open. I noticed people in my life who I thought would be fun to write for, and one by one I invited them to the project. Six brave people said yes!

In May 2025, I had my cast. I had coffee one-on-one with each of them, just to talk and get to know them a bit. Then, we had a get-together at my apartment in June 2025 that included dinner and an indoor campfire (we took all the candles I owned, put them on the coffee table, turned all the lights off, and made smores over a little electric smores machine). That night was a special community moment, and gave me a chance to see how all of my actors might interact with each other.

I took a month to just reflect and think about all the people involved in the project.

Then, a story came to me, some strange thing about a woman who could save lots of people’s lives but couldn’t save the life of her partner. I must have been watching Revenge of the Sith that summer.

In September I invited my wonderful, visionary colleague Helena to direct.

In February and April we had two workshop readings.

The story has gone through 3 drafts (you’ll be hearing a reading of the 3rd) and changed dramatically. Each workshop brought so much clarity and new ideas that what I had written and what the story wanted to be were so disparate I had to rewrite it completely. I stuck to the original impulse and emotional core of the story, but I let the details and plot points morph around that.

And now we have a script!

It’s still a work in progress, but it’s something I’m so proud of and I’m so thankful to my community of artists who contributed their energy to its development.

I hope you enjoy!

Location:

Our studio is located at 4001 N Ravenswood Ave. It’s a large industrial building at the corner of Ravenswood and Irving Park.

Parking:

Free parking is available outside our building’s front door on Ravenswood Ave. If you don’t see parking right out front, keep driving north and you can typically find a spot within a few blocks.

Transportation:

We’re steps away from the Irving Park Bus and Brown Line Station. We also have a Divvy Bike station right outside our front door.

Doors open at:

Door will open 30 minutes before the start time of your event. You’re welcome to get here early but the studio will not be unlocked prior to 30 minutes before the event start time.

How to Enter the Building:

At the callbox outside Dial 303 to be buzzed into the front door. This event takes place in Studio 303-B. Take the stairs or passenger elevator up to the 3rd floor. The elevator is small and from the early 20th century but it works!

If you would rather use the much larger freight elevator, please contact jack@greenshirtstudio.com in advance so he can make accommodations for you.

Check-in

Please have your PDF ticket ready at the door for check in.

Have an idea for a workshop, performance, or event?

Our diverse community is always looking for new ways to grow in their creative practice and get inspired by other artists’ work. Get in touch with us at https://www.greenshirtstudio.com/hosting