Girls fromViola Project eating ice cream

About us

In the Spring of 2004, TVP's founders, Reina Hardy and Ellie Kaufman, were acting in a Chicago production of Lysistrata. A conversation one night after a performance led them to realize they shared similar thoughts about theatre growing up; that is, that there were always more girls interested in theatre than there were roles for them to play in school productions.  Reina had been privileged to take part in a summer Shakespeare program which had a gender-blind casting policy, and as a result she was able to play such roles as Iago and Hamlet. Ellie thought this was a fantastic idea and wondered why there wasn't such a program in existence in Chicago today. Taking the idea one step further, they decided to create a program where only girls would be allowed to participate, so they could play all the meaty, complex, difficult, exciting characters Shakespeare envisioned. After all, in the year 1600, only men were allowed on stage. Isn't turnabout fairplay?

The name of the program comes from Shakespeare's heroine in Twelfh Night, Viola, who is marvelously adept at playing a man and yet in the end does not compromise her wit, her strength, or her feelings one bit in order to get what she wants.

City Lit Theatre

The Viola Project has had a partnership with City Lit Theatre since 2006. This wonderful theatre, located in the Bryn Mawr Historic district, co-sponsors our one-day workshops and summer programming. We love our home on the City Lit stage!  Learn more about City Lit at www.citylit.org.

Support Us

Do you believe that accessible arts programs are vital to the future of this country? We do too. We also believe-- and have seen-- that Theatre programs such as The Viola Project foster self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and enthusiasm for learning. If you would like to help us expand our programming, here are a few ways:

donate

The quickest way to help! The Viola Project is an Illinois Not-for-Profit Organization. Your donation will provide rehearsal and performance space, costumes, and perhaps most importantly, full and partial scholarships to provide girls from low-income families the chance to shine on stage. We accept donations by check or money order, payable to The Viola Project, 2554 W. Gunnison #3, Chicago, IL 60625. Or, simply donate through Google Checkout! We will be happy to provide you with a receipt.

volunteer

We are always looking for fabulous teachers and interns. Do you have a special skill you'd like to bring to the table? Are you great at Elizabethan needle work or period Spanish swordplay? Do you just love Shakespeare? We'd like to know! Email us at info.violaproject@gmail.com with "VOLUNTEER/TEACH" in the subject heading.

spread the word

One of the most important things you can do to support The Viola Project is to tell everyone you know about our fantastic programs! Your child's friends and their parents, her teachers, your co-workers, anyone you think might love what we do. A quick email to info.violaproject@gmail.com and they'll be all set to receive news of upcoming workshops and events.