Sparks and Ash: Chicago Writers' Original Works — Her Story Theater — Rhino Fest 2026

Her Story Theater presents SPARKS AND ASH: Readings by seasoned Chicago Writers and Performers

Mary Bonnett (performing The Quiet, fiction) is an award-winning artist who is founder and producing Artitistic Director of Her Story Theater whose recent production was nominated for two Jeff Awards for best actor, Gary Houston and best play. As a playwright, her works include a cycle on Chicago domestic sex trafficking: Shadow Town (The Den), The John (National Jewish Theater, Skokie, Houston, Texas), Money Make'M Smile (Victory Gardens), Monger (Greenhouse) and Mia: Where Have All The Young Girl's Gone (Greenhouse). Her additional plays are Invisible and Gloss Over. Court Side was seen in Philadelphia, Chicago Cultural Center), Me and Louie Armstrong (Go Solo Festival, NYC.). Mary is a novelist with a published children's book and an adult novel entitled The Quiet. She is a member of Dramatist Guild, Sag-Aftra Chicago Radio Players, Chicago Dramatist, Perennial Theatre and SAG-AFTRA. Come see her new play The Novelist, live, at Chicago Dramatist, November 21, 2026 at 2PM.

Sandy Borglum (Mrs. Kolias, monologue) is an actor and playwright. Her acting credits run the gamut from Kate in “Taming of the Shrew”, to Miss Amelia in “The Ballad of the Sad Café”, as well as musical theatre, opera, dance, and circus work. She has worked with Court Theatre, Steppenwolf, Timeline, and numerous other theatres in the Chicago area. Her one-person show, “Confessions of a Spiritual Existential Nihilist”, was well-received at Lifeline Theatre’s Filet of Solo Play Festival, receiving a standing ovation. She most recently won First Place in Writers Bloc’s 10- minute play competition.

Will Clinger (World Traveler, monologue, hurmorous) His Chicago theater credits include Being Seen (Chicago and London), New Country at the Den Theater, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Porchlight Music Theatre, Measure for Measure and Hamlet! The Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Eric LaRue at A Red Orchid Theatre and his one-man show Dr. Harlon’s Keys to Better Living at the Royal George Theatre. He co-wrote and performed in the musical Two for the Show (Theatre Wit), which received the After Dark Award for Best New Work and was nominated in the same category for a Joseph Jefferson Award. Clinger has acted in numerous film and television productions over the years, most recently guest starring on Chicago P.D. and the 4th season of Fargo. He is the producer and host of the award-winning PBS travel series Wild Travels.

Gary Houston (Bootheel, Bob's Dad, Crying Wolf, nonfiction) was last seen onstage at Her Story Theater as Henry Percival in The Official Biography, where he was recently nominated for a Jeff Award as Best Actor in a Play, short run. Before that he could be seen at the Goodman Theater in August Wilson's GEM OF THE OCEAN and JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE, both directed by Chuck Smith. As well as numerous film roles, Gary is a Jeff-nominated actor, with a long history of performances at Northlight, Writers Theatre, Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Wisdom Bridge, National Jewish Theater and in the original Organic Theatre ensemble. As a former books and arts staffer for the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, he interviewed Studs Terkel, Saul Bellow, Joseph Heller, and Elie Wiesel. Gary is presently managing editor of CHICAGO QUARTERLY REVIEW and a member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA.

Hugh Iglarsh (Short Story) is a Chicago-based critic, essayist, satirist and editor, and a longtime member of the Nelson Algren Committee. His work – including theater, dance, book and art reviews, as well as political and cultural commentary and travel accounts – has appeared in a number of publications, including Newcity, CounterPunch and the Chicago Quarterly Review. He lives in Old Town.

Malcolm Rothman (Egg Roll, memoir) was a long time regular on the Chicago theatrical scene appearing on stage, in film, radio and TV commercials and anything else that could bring in a buck or two including 20 years as Chicago's premiere Harry Caray impersonator. He wrote his first story at the age of 72. His memoir, "Family Photos" appeared in The Chicago Quarterly Review and was cited as a notable essay by "The Best Essays of 2020". In addition, his story, "Good Dog" appeared in Issue #35 of the CQR and his story, “Ghosts Are As Real As Dreams” appeared in issue #37. Most recently, his story, “The Man Who Wouldn't Cheer the Tsar” is in the current issue. The essay he's reading today, "The Day an Egg Roll Changed My Life”, was featured online in The Chicago Story Press. Malcolm was a Navy Hospital Corpsman and served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. He is married to Amy Sunshine, and is a better man for it.

Amy Sunshine (The Mother's Curse, memoir) came to Chicago to settle down with the love of her life, Malcolm Rothman, and to try making a career as an actor. The many detours, before finding that writing & telling stories is soul satisfying, were as a Talent Agent, a Casting Director, a v/o talent (2 jobs), an on-camera actor (1 commercial, 2 industrials), and 25 years as a fine dining waiter that has given her a pension to retire on. Waiting tables was her outlet to work on her acting skills. She is a member of SAG/ AFTRA and Actor’s Equity.

Date: Saturday, October 24th at 3:00
Venue: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (1650 W. Foster)

Tickets: All Rhino Fest tickets are offered at sliding scale prices, in an effort to make theater more accessible to more people in our communities. We say "pay what you can" and we mean it. Rhino Fest is co-produced by the Curious Theatre Branch and the performance venues. Additional donations are always welcome.

About the venue: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is located at 1650 W Foster Ave in Andersonville, in the same building as Ebenezer Lutheran Church. The performance space is not currently accessible by wheelchair; to enter the auditorium, there are eight steps to a landing, and then eight steps to the entrance. CDE is within walking distance of the Foster (92) and Clark (22) bus lines. Street parking is generally possible nearby, but check signs for permit zones and time-based restrictions. Soft drinks will be available for purchase before shows begin. More information can be found at https://www.danztheatre.org.

About Rhino Fest: The event that became the Rhinoceros Theater Festival began in 1988 as an offshoot of the Bucktown Arts Fest, and in its first year featured just two days of performances, including work by Jenny Magnus and Beau O'Reilly. When the event's founder moved away from Chicago in 1990, he asked a ragtag group of local artists (including Beau O'Reilly and Theatre of the Reconstruction’s Scott Turner) to keep the festival going, and the Rhino Fest was born. The Curious Theatre Branch went on to produce the Rhino across many neighborhoods and venues over the years, with events variously taking place in Wicker Park/Bucktown, Rogers Park, Andersonville and Avondale; at spaces including the Lunar Cabaret and Full Moon Café, the Neo-Futurarium, the Society for New Things, The Garage, The Firehouse, Remains Theatre, and Prop Thtr. In the mid-2000s, Rhino Fest settled at Prop Thtr in Avondale as its long-term base, and Prop and Curious co-produced the festival among a shifting group of curators for many years. Following the closure of Prop's Elston Avenue space in 2020 and a year off during the height of the pandemic, Rhino Fest is once more itinerant, currently producing more than 30 shows at The Labyrinth Club, Chicago Danztheater, and Chicago Dramatists.

https://rhinofest.com/