American Blues Theater’s 2025 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival scheduled for Saturday, August 9, 2025
Chicago’s American Blues Theater recently announced the lineup for the 2025 Blue Ink Playwriting Festival, taking place Saturday, August 9th at the American Blues Theater. The festival features the 2025 Blue Ink Award-winning play, You Should Be So Lucky by Alyssa Haddad-Chin, as well as the productions of She Wore Those Shoes by Erlina Ortiz and Hurt People by LaDarrion Williams.
The 2025 Blue Ink Award-winning play, You Should Be So Lucky , follows Poh Poh as she teaches her granddaughter, Jenny, to make dumplings for the Lunar New Year in her Chinatown apartment. As Jenny learns more about her culture, history, and family, she discovers that there are some secrets Poh Poh won’t share, and the changing neighborhood isn’t leaving space for them.
She Wore Those Shoes explores the prevailing issue of sexual assault within the United States military and the silence, stigma, and negligence that survivors often face. Protagonist, Yudy, a strong and confident young Latina woman, excitedly joins the armed forces in pursuit of the military pride and prowess that her respected older brother Abraham represents. Yudy’s high regard for her military “family,” however is deeply tarnished in the aftermath of trauma, as silence, disbelief, and betrayal ensue.
Hurt People examines the return home of Thirty-year-old Birmingham, Alabama, resident, Marcel Bennett, to unlearn the things that shaped him, which are deep-seated childhood issues that seep into his artistic endeavor. When Marcel catches up with his old high school friend, old feelings arise, and an emotional truth must be sacrificed for Marcel to move on and begin anew.
Each year American Blues Theater accepts worldwide submissions of original, unpublished full-length plays. The winning play is selected by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and the theater’s Ensemble. Nearly $20,000 in cash prizes and development were distributed to playwrights in 2025. Submissions for the 2026 Blue Ink Award are open as of August 1, 2025. All submissions must be received by American Blues Theater by August 31, 2025.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since we launched the Blue Ink Award. What started in 2010 as a simple way to champion new voices has grown into something bigger than we ever imagined,” commented Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside. “This year’s festival features three incredible plays by Alyssa Haddad-Chin, Erlina Ortiz, and LaDarrion Williams—stories that tackle everything from family and gentrification to capitalism, sexual assault in the military, Black masculinity, and sexuality. Every year we’re blown away by the talent and passion of the playwrights who submit, and it’s so rewarding to see our homegrown idea turn into a national platform that playwrights truly value and respect.”
2025 Festival passes are $30, which include all three readings and a reception. Individual tickets are $12 per play. Doors open at 10am, and a ticketed reception will be held at noon. Tickets can be purchased online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by phone at (773) 654-3103. All performances take place in the Studio Theater at American Blues, located at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave.
