This fall The Goodman Theatre’s renowned New Stages Festival has returned for its 11th year with new shows that are sure to inspire, delight and entertain audiences of all ages. New Stages is an exciting and unique way to experience brand-new productions; it showcases fresh works that often evolve into main stage productions at the legendary theater.

“Feathers and Teeth,” written by Chicago playwright and actress Charise  Castro Smith, comprises a brilliant combination of humor, complexity and poignancy.

“It’s a play about a 13-year-old girl who just lost her mom and her dad’s first relationship with a new woman,” Smith said. “Then there is a whole supernatural element that comes in and those two things sort of bounce off of each other.”

When it comes to the world of theater, Smith is as well rounded as artists come. She said her roles of both playwright and actor coincide.

“I got my MFA in acting, and so I worked on a lot of Shakespeare when I was in grad school,” she said. “I also worked on a lot of new plays as an actor. I think that I write from a very physical perspective. A lot of my stage directions are very physical. I see both of them going together really well. I’m grateful that I get to do both.”

The Goodman itself, which is integral in the world of theater, is also unique in many of its practices. Smith discussed the novelty and innovation that stems from The Goodman’s New Stages, which is unlike anything that she has experienced before. 

“The New Stages Festival is an incredible and singular process,” she said. “It is very different than anything that I’ve been involved with before. I had a reading of this play a year ago at The Goodman. It went well so they invited me back for this process and we had about two and a half weeks of rehearsal with all of the actors staged. Then we had our first performance and then we went back to rehearsal for a week after that.

So I got the chance to see how it would play in front of an audience and then I had a whole week to go back and say, ‘Let’s tinker with this. Let’s flip this around.’ Then we had another performance, went back to rehearsal for about two more days. The show is frozen as of last night, but to be able to explore something with so much depth, to have the audience’s response and to hear what’s working and what’s not working; I don’t know if that’s something any other theater does.”

Smith’s varied educational and professional background has provided her with countless experiences that have all contributed to her success in the art world. She offered wise advice to those interested in making their way into professional theater. 

“Follow all different types of curiosity,” she said. “If you are a theater major, obviously you want to see and read as many plays as you can but you also have to learn about the world in order to make good theater. When I was an undergrad I did a double major in public policy and theater and when I graduated I taught in a public school. I think that the more you can pursue other parts of yourself as you are pursuing a career in theater, the more you will have to reflect on when you are making theater.”